Total length about 20cm - tail 3cm - weight about 300g. Orange-buffy colour with distinct black and white patches on the head - greyish on flanks and underside. Very long top and bottom incissor teeth. Lives and forages in burrows - throwing up mounds of soil on the surface. Found in sandy soil on mountains and lowerparts. Feeds on bulbs - roots and tubers - storing surplus food in underground chambers. Solitary and mainly nocturnal.