The upper parts are generally brown, or bluish or brownish gray, and the underparts are gray or buffy. The tail is dark basally and white distally in most species but completely blackish brown in T. punicans. The pelage is commonly short, soft, dense, and silky. The body is stout, the tail usually longer than the head and body, and the hind feet long and slender. The braincase, bullae, and molars are relatively large, while the rostrum is rather slender and delicate.
Females have six mammae.
All species live in forests, though T. celebensis and T. punicans are found mainly at lower elevations, and T. taerae and T. hamatus in the mountains. Most species are terrestrial, but T. celebensis also occurs in trees and vines. T. hamatus is known to feed on fruits, and T. callitrichus on fruits, leaves, and insects. Neither T. celebensis nor T. punicans is common, and they may have been eliminated in some areas through hunting by people for use as food.