It is very closely related to Salvin's spiny pocket mouse, and has been placed in the same species group by some authors.

Over the flanks and upper parts of the body, the brown fur is interspersed with darker spines and occasional orange hairs.

[2] Panamanian spiny pocket mice are found only in southern and western Panama, along the Pacific coast between David and Chepo, and inland as far as the headwaters of rivers flowing into the Atlantic.

[1][2] Panamanian spiny pocket mice are nocturnal, and feed mainly on the nuts of palm trees such as Bactris and Attalea, although they also eat other plant material and some insects.

Although aggressive when kept together in captivity, in the wild they may reach population densities of up to 11 per hectare (4.5/acre), with significant overlap between home ranges.