The little ground squirrel is a small ground squirrel of flat steppes and semi-deserts, ranging from the lower Dnieper to Betpak-Dala in Kazakhstan.
Fur color varies by region: northern and mountain forms are gray-brown, while southern forms are grayish pale yellow-brown. Back spots range from clear to almost absent.
It eats grasses and other plants, roots and seeds, with the balance changing by region and season. It is active by day, rests through the hottest hours and hibernates through winter.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.