The southern African vlei rat lives in wetlands and grasslands in South Africa. It grips grass with its forepaws while feeding and makes runways through vegetation.
It has a blunt nose, a stocky body, long shaggy fur, and a relatively short tail.
A Western Cape account describes shallow nests at wetland edges and shows the rat holding grass with its forepaws as it eats.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.