The red-cheeked ground squirrel is a ground-dwelling squirrel marked by reddish cheeks. Regional records describe it as active by day, using burrows and feeding on grasses and other foods.
Records from the Barabinsk Lowland describe a grayish coat, reddish-brown cheeks, and a relatively short tail.
Barabinsk Lowland records describe daytime activity and separate burrows for animals in a colony. A Xinjiang study found burrows tended to be in higher, flat places with drier soil.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.