The Northern Three-striped Opossum has three black lines on its back. Close relatives share the same pattern, so appearance alone may not distinguish them.
It has three black dorsal stripes, a pattern also found in the close relative M. iheringi. Body size and pelage vary within and between species, with reported differences related to age and sex.
In Atlantic Forest records, nests were found in tree forks or bushes. In the Cerrado, a studied population was restricted to gallery forest and was active by day. The species is mainly terrestrial and eats insects, fruits, and palm seeds.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.