The painted spiny pocket mouse ranges from Mexico to northwestern Guatemala. It has a reddish-brown back, white underside, and spiny coat, and stores seeds in caches.
Its back is reddish brown and its belly is white, with a pale or ochre stripe along the side. Stiff spines and fine hairs mix in the coat, with the spines projecting outward.
It is nocturnal and usually solitary. It eats seeds, plant material, and arthropods, and has been reported to store seeds in underground burrows.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.