This spiny rat is known from Minas Gerais, Brazil. Studies report insects and seeds in its diet and suggest it may help disperse some small seeds.
At the genus level, Thrichomys have soft fur, generally gray backs, and whitish undersides. The moderately long tail is densely furred, dark above and pale gray or whitish below.
A diet study found insects to be important food, especially in the dry season when fruit was scarce. Seeds were also common, and some small seeds remained capable of germinating after passing through the gut, suggesting a role in seed dispersal.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.