It occurs mainly in the Eastern Arc Mountains, extending to north-central Tanzania, Malawi, and northern Mozambique. It inhabits moist montane forests and has also been recorded in disturbed forest.
The dorsal fur is dark brown, the flanks are paler, and the underside is whitish to gray.
It is nocturnal and scansorial as well as terrestrial, eating seeds, fruit, and insects. Burrows are associated with large tree roots and fallen wood.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.