The moonrat is usually black except for its white head and tail tip. It is recorded from the southern Malay Peninsula, Borneo, and Sumatra.
The usual coarse coat is white on the head and distal tail, and black elsewhere. It has black spots near the eyes and a long, mobile nose. White forms are also known.
It is recorded in moist lowland forest, mangrove swamps, rubber plantations, and other cultivated places, often near streams where ground vegetation is thick.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.