This stocky rat has a reddish-brown back flecked with yellow and black. It lives in savanna and cultivated areas, is mainly active by day, and builds grass nests.
It is stocky, with a reddish-brown back flecked with yellow and black. A dark midline often runs along the back; the sparse belly fur is whitish to gray. The tail is generally shorter than head-and-body length.
Sudanian savannas are the main habitat, with records from shrublands and cultivated fields as well. It is mostly active by day, with activity peaks at dawn and dusk, and makes grass nests on the ground or in shallow burrows.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.