The tail in some species is buff, becoming darker toward the tip. These animals resemble other genera of flying squirrels in general appearance but differ in cranial characters. They have a broad, low head with a short muzzle. The tail is somewhat flattened like a feather, as the hairs on the sides project outward. The hairs beneath the tail are shorter and lie close to the axis, but the hairs on top are not as short, do not lie as close, and make the tail appear bushy.
Females have four to six mammae.
These squirrels inhabit tropical forests up to 1,210 meters in elevation. Their habits are not well known but apparently resemble those of other flying squirrels of Southeast Asia. They sleep during the day in holes in trees and are active at night, when they romp and feed. They eat nuts, fruits, young twigs, tender shoots and leaves, possibly the bark of certain trees, and perhaps some insects. Litter size was found to be only one in P. genibarbis, one to two in P. setosus, and one to three in P. vordermanni .