This spiny rat has a rusty back with a black central band and a white underside. The currently recognized species is recorded from Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela.
Adults have rusty-brown backs with many black hairs in the central area and spines on part of the back. The underside is white.
In Turure Forest on Trinidad, individuals were recaptured as late as 20 months after their first capture.
The ears are narrow with rounded tips, nearly naked and flesh-coloured with broad dark margins.
The tail is well furred at the base, with sparse, very short whitish hairs farther along and no terminal tuft.
Young animals are blackish above and have soft fur without spines. Weak spines appear in the middle of the back as they grow.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.