[2] This species was described in 1824 by Coenraad Jacob Temminck in his 1824 work Monographies de Mammalogie.

[3] The Atlantic Forest populations of Philander were considered to be Philander frenatus by James L. Patton & Maria Nazareth Ferreira da Silva in 1997,[5] but the holotype of P. frenatus was collected in eastern Brazil near the city of Belém, well outside the range of this species.

The underside is yellowish to whitish, with some gray colors near the sides, between the forearms, and on the bottom of the neck and jaw.

[2] This species is found in southern Brazil, northeastern Argentina, and eastern Paraguay.

[2] Similar to its congeners, this species is a true omnivore, consuming fruits, flowers, seeds, invertebrates, carrion, and small vertebrates.