This jerboa is recorded in Mongolia, Kazakhstan, and other parts of Asia. A specialist mammal account places it in dry steppe, semi-desert, and desert habitats. Coat colors and tail markings vary across its range, and genetic evidence may indicate that the broad current taxon includes more than one unnamed species.
The dorsal coat ranges from dark brownish gray to pale sandy gray. Its wide, flattened tail has a white terminal tuft, a black band before it, and a white band nearer the base; details vary among subspecies.
The specialist account records this jerboa in dry open steppe with sparse grass, as well as semi-desert and desert with low shrubs such as sagebrush. Plant communities and soils differ across its range.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.