The long-clawed mole mouse is a small shrew-like mammal with a short tail and a total length of about 14 cm (5.5 in). The body is spindle-shaped, enabling this mouse to move and turn in confined spaces. The pelage is short and velvety, dark olive-brown to black, sometimes tinged with reddish brown. The snout is pointed, the eyes small and the ears tiny. The feet are large, the claws being larger than the digits.[4]
The long-clawed mole mouse digs a burrow and also moves about in surface runways near fallen logs and in dense undergrowth. It is mainly nocturnal, leaving its burrow briefly to feed on earthworms and other small invertebrates, supplemented by plant material.[4]