The African linsang is a small carnivore with a slender, spotted body and a long ringed tail. It is active at night in trees and eats insects, fruit and other foods.
Its back fur can range from pale yellow to brownish grey or orange-brown, with dark spots. Its long tail has black rings, and the tip may be black or pale.
It is nocturnal and arboreal, living alone or in pairs. It builds nests from green plant material, sleeps in them for a few days, and then may move to another nest.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.