Unlike most prehensile tails, the tail of Pogonomys curls backward or up at the tip, rather than downward. Pogonomys has a short head and large eyes. The hands and feet are short, broad, and modified for climbing. There is a slightly opposable hallux with a fully developed claw. The molar teeth have a complex folded pattern.
Females have six mammae.
Prehensile-tailed rats are found in forests from sea level to about 2,700 meters in elevation. The nests of P. loriae are said to have several entrance tunnels that may be many meters in length. The diet consists largely of young leaves and shoots of grass and bamboo. A single nest may contain a group of up to 15 individuals of all ages and sexes, though usually there are only 3-5 animals per colony. In both P. loriae and P. sylvestris the usual litter size is 2-3 young.