The mongoose lemur is fairly small with soft bushy fur which is grey in colour with lighter bellies. The females have cream coloured cheeks, young males are born with white cheeks and beard which then turn red as they mature. Both males and females have bright red-orange eyes.

This species is very easy to distinguish, with its grey/brown fur on its back, white fronts, black eyes, and black and white banded tail. It is generally quite active during the day time, however when sleeping they will often curl up into a ball, wrapping its tail around itself.