This jird is restricted to the Turpan Basin in eastern Xinjiang, China. It lives in mountain semidesert and dry grassland and builds burrows at the bases of shrubs.
The dorsal fur is dark brown with grayish-black bases. The underside is white, and the pale-brown tail ends in a tuft.
It inhabits mountainous semidesert and xeric grassland, usually above 1,000 m. It is highly social and constructs many burrows at the bases of shrubs.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.