The pelage is soft in most species but harsh in P. desertor. The head and ears are usually paler than the remainder of the upper parts. The tail is moderately haired and in most species is bicolored, being dark above and white to buffy below. The ears are relatively small in some species but large in others. Depending on the species, tail length is either less than, equal to, or more than head and body length.
Females have two inguinal pairs of mammae.
Habitats of the different species include sandy plains, stony ridges, coastal dunes, grasslands, shrub and tree heaths, swamps, timbered areas, and rainforests. Ecology and behavior are not well known, but evidently these mice are nocturnal and usually spend the day in burrows. P. australis sometimes burrows in clay flats and riverbanks. On the flats its burrows are not more than 150-200 mm deep, usually have only one opening, and lack side passages. The burrows of P. delicatulus are located some 60 mm below the surface, and after about 1.5 meters they terminate in a circular space containing a nest of dried grass.