This skunk is small and stocky, with a bare nose elongated for the purpose of finding ground beetles, grasshoppers and crickets.

The skunk has long claws and well developed forelimbs in order to dig to locate prey.

[3] Its teeth are specialized for the consumption of invertebrates and fruit, their lower molars are adapted for crushing such resistant foods.

[3] Unlike other South American carnivorans, it is less effected by competition from increased dietary homogenization in areas where native prey species have gone extinct due to its largely strictly insectivorous diet.

During the winter seasons, it shifts from its open grassy habitats to shrubs, forests, and mountainous areas as insect populations decline to seek alternative food sources.