This vole is known from the Qionglai Mountains of western Sichuan, China. Its 1982 original description used the name Microtus musseri.
The original description calls it medium-sized, dark brown above and pale buff to silvery below. Its deep, soft fur largely hides the rounded ears; the adult tail is dark above and pale underneath.
The original description lists specimens from several Qionglai Shan localities at about 2,100–3,700 m. A Chinese mammal guide reports this species was collected from rocks and cliffs in alpine meadows.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.