As is the case with many crevice-dwelling mammals, the skull is flattened. Females have six or eight mammae. African dormice inhabit forests and, in southern and eastern Africa, rocky areas in the dry tablelands, generally along waterways. They are arboreal but may frequently be found on the ground. They often shelter in trees and shrubs, making their globular nests in cavities and among the branches.
Some animals use crevices in cliffs or stone fences, and others live in thatched roofs.
They are sometimes found in boxes of rubble or in the upholstery of old furniture in houses and storerooms. They are principally nocturnal, but in dense, dark forests they are occasionally active by day. There is little precise information on hibernation, but apparently in certain areas Graphiurus becomes fat by the end of autumn and retires to a shelter, where it may remain dormant through the winter. The diet includes grains, seeds, nuts, fruits, insects, eggs, and small vertebrates. African dormice occasionally become a nuisance by raiding poultry yards.