The Gansu hamster inhabits mountain forests in central China. Unlike most hamsters, it has been reported to use trees.
Its back is hoary gray-brown, its flanks cream-colored, and its belly gray. A narrow white line runs from the chin to the chest, with additional pale patches on the head. The tail is long relative to the body and has long hairs.
It lives in mountain forests, including deciduous woodland, and is reported to use trees. The IUCN assessment describes it as nocturnal and herbivorous, feeding on leaves and grasses.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.