This West Asian rodent is reported from Turkey, the South Caucasus, Iran, and Lebanon. An Iranian study recorded it on sparsely vegetated, hard soils from 350 to 2,500 m.
The middle of the back is dark brown to blackish, becoming lighter reddish yellow toward the sides. The cheeks and underside of the chin are white.
A study in Turkey reported summer and breeding burrows and a mainly plant-based diet. In April and May it also ate insects and larvae; the breeding season was March to August.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.