This semiaquatic rat uses wetlands and watersides. The balance of plant and animal foods in its diet varies by region.
Its back is gray to dark and its underside is pale. The tail is nearly as long as the body, and the hind toes are long; despite its semiaquatic life, it has neither webbed toes nor a flattened tail.
It uses marshes and other wetlands, including tidal marshes. It is omnivorous, but local diets differ: coastal Georgia studies found mostly animal food, while Virginia tidal-marsh studies found much plant material.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.