This pocket mouse is known from mountain areas of southern California. It digs in dry grassland and open woodland and carries seeds in its cheek pouches.
The back is yellow-brown with black hairs, while the underside is whitish. White hairs occur along the ears and below the tail.
It is nocturnal and carries seeds to burrows in its cheek pouches, storing them underground. It uses dry grassland and shrubland with soil that can be excavated.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.