As its name suggests, the golden spiny mouse is covered in prickly, inflexible, coarse fur; this spiny coat is thought to protect the mouse from predation. It is a small and stocky mouse, with a pointed snout, large, erect ears, and a brittle, furless, scaly tail. Golden, orange-reddish fur covers the upperparts and head, the flanks are yellow, and the underside is pale. The legs are grey and the feet are pale with black soles, and there are small, distinctive white spots below the eyes. Male golden spiny mice tend to be heavier than females.