The grassland melomys has reddish-brown upperparts and a white underside. In a Halmahera survey, it was caught in ground-level traps in secondary growth, including near rivers.
The upperparts are reddish brown and the underside is white.
In the Halmahera survey it was caught in ground-level traps. A small stomach sample contained fruit and plant matter, with a few arthropods.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.