The species Pseudomys delicatulus, P. hermannsburgensis, and P. novaehollandiae sometimes have been placed in the genus Leggadina. The tail is noticeably shorter than the head and body. The pelage is crisp, with a considerable portion of stout guard hairs. L. forresti is yellowish olive brown above and white below. The head is broad, the muzzle blunt, and the ears short and broad.
Females have four mammae.
He noted that this species normally occurs in low numbers, and he considered it rare and at risk. It is nocturnal and known to eat seeds and green vegetation and may be able to extract sufficient moisture from its food to survive without drinking. Individuals have been dug from shallow burrows about 15 cm deep containing nests of grass and one or two blind tunnels. The burrows are inhabited by single animals or females with young. Females have been found breeding after winter rains.