It is a nocturnal and fossorial species occurring in subtropical and tropical montane forests. It is found on the forest floor, often in areas with profuse undergrowth interspersed with cane and bamboo brakes and palms (Molur et al. 2005). It constructs burrows, which may be occupied by up to three animals. Two litters of a single young are born after a gestation period of 100 to 110 days (Smith and Xie 2008).

This species is distributed in northeastern South Asia, through much of central and southern China and mainland Southeast Asia. In South Asia, this species has been recorded in Assam, India and probably also occurs in Bangladesh. It has been recorded up to 750 m asl (Molur et al. 2005). In China, it has been recorded from Hainan Island, Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan, Hubei, Hunnan and Guangxi (Smith and Xie 2008). In Southeast Asia, it is widely recorded in Myanmar, Thailand (including the island of Tarutau), Lao PDR, Viet Nam, Cambodia and Peninsular Malaysia (including the islands of Aor, Pemanggil and Tioman). It is recorded from Sumatra (Indonesia) by Woods and Kilpatrick (2005), but this requires verification.

The species is protected under Schedule II of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, though not listed in CITES. It has been recorded from Namdapha National Park in Arunachal Pradesh, India (Molur et al. 2005). It is present in a number of protected areas in Southeast Asia.