This species is sometimes placed in the subfamily Cricetinae due to similarities in appearance between the white-tailed rat and hamsters, but molecular phylogenetic studies have confirmed that the two groups are not closely related.

[2] The white-tailed rat is restricted to shrubby areas and grasslands of South Africa and Lesotho.

The underparts are whitish-grey, each individual hair having a grey base and shaft and a cream or whitish tip.

[3] The white-tailed rat is endemic to South Africa and Lesotho where it is found in grasslands and shrubby areas.

The stomach has a ruminant-like digestive action and there are bacteria in the hind gut that ferment the food.