The relict ground squirrel is a terrestrial squirrel of the Central Asian Tian Shan. It inhabits mountain steppe and semi-desert and has a long hibernation.
In the western nominate form, the back is cinnamon-brown and the head is gray-buff; the flanks are paler than the back.
Mountain populations spend a long part of the year hibernating. The timing of hibernation varies by region.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.