This gerbil is known from a record in the Aouker region of Mauritania. Its foot pads have been described, but sources disagree over whether it should be treated as a separate species or included with a close relative.
The original description, as quoted in Lay's 1983 review, reports three large separate pads on the sole. Short, stiff hairs cover the metatarsal area, while the rest of the sole is bare. This is a foot feature, not a description of the coat.
The type locality is described as Saharan and close to the Sahel boundary. This is environmental context for the single known specimen, not evidence of the species’ broader habitat preference.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.