A pattern of white patches and a white band across the forehead may be present on the head of this species. The species P. hermaphroditus can always be distinguished from P. zeylonensis and P. jerdoni by the backward direction of the hairs on the neck. In the other species the hairs on the neck grow forward from the shoulders to the head. Paradoxurus differs from Arctogalidia and Paguma in color pattern and in characters of the skull and teeth. There are well-developed anal scent glands in both sexes.
Females have three pairs of mammae.
Musangs are nocturnal forest dwellers. They are expert climbers and spend most of their time in trees, where they utilize cavities or secluded nooks. They are often found about human habitations, probably because of the presence of rats and mice. Under such conditions, they shelter in thatched roofs and in dry drain tiles and pipes. They eat small vertebrates, insects, fruits, and seeds.