The Cerrado Giant Rat is restricted to central Brazil, with scattered records in eastern Mato Grosso and the Federal District. Its ecology is known from few records.
In the original description's series, the back was glossy black to blackish, with white or yellow-white hair tips speckling the sides. The underside was gray-white.
A few records suggest use of humid open Cerrado grasslands, including seasonally flooded fields. Another record is from shrub savanna, so the range of habitats is still unclear.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.