It is a common species with a wide range, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated it as being of "least concern".

This squirrel was first described in 1862 by the English zoologist John Edward Gray, the type specimen being collected from 2,000 m (7,000 ft) above sea level on Mount Cameroon.

It occurs in both lowland and montane moist forests, in the understory of dense secondary growth with vines and creepers, in plantations and old gardens, but not in the canopy of tall trees.

Because they spend most of their time foraging through dense undergrowth, vines and creepers, they can often be identified by the sounds they make rather than visually.

They feed mostly on fruits and seeds, but also consume small quantities of green leafy material, arthropods, such as ants, termites and caterpillars, and fungi.