The gular, inguinal, and axillary areas are creamy or white. The ears and hands are brown, and the fingers are white. Dacnomys is a large, ordinary-looking rat with no special external distinguishing characters. It derives one of its common names from the relatively large size of the molar teeth. The sole pads are large and rounded, and the fifth toe of the hind foot lacks a claw.
Females have eight mammae.