A carnivorous species of uncertain affinities, it is notable for its relatively large size, being among the largest of all Mesozoic mammals.

There are two pairs of distinct foramina anterior and posterior to the dorsal transverse suture; modern placentals only bear one.

[4] Overall, the available proportions seem to indicate an animal comparable in size to the largest of modern mustelids and mid-sized felines.

[3][6][7][8] Averinov and Archibald et al. 2005 referred it to the eutherian clade Zhelestidae, suggesting a close relation to Sheikhdzheilia[3] though this too is not entirely certain.

[9] Oxlestes was among the largest mammals of the Mesozoic, being comparable in size to modern mammalian predators such as wolverines and mid-sized cats.