The Ethiopian Buff-spotted Brush-furred Rat has been recorded in varied settings, including mountain grasslands. A study in East Africa found that the balance of invertebrate and plant foods changed with rainfall.
The Ethiopian population account in Handbook describes reddish-brown speckling on the back and a pale reddish underside.
In a study of grassland at about 3,800 m on Mt. Elgon, stomach contents included earthworms, snails, and crane-fly larvae. Plants made up a greater share in the driest month, February.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.