It is native to North Africa and the Sinai Peninsula, where it lives in sandy habitats.

The dorsal fur is soft and sleek and a sandy colour, each hair having a grey base and orangish shaft, and a dark tip in some individuals.

[2] They are seldom found in coastal habitats or in the middle of large dune fields, but are attracted to transient settlements and camel dung.

Its diet includes seeds and fruits, sometimes supplemented by buds and leaves, and by insects in the spring.

[2] It consumes fallen dates and investigates camel dung in order to feed on any seeds it may find.

Predators include the pale fox, the barn owl, and the sand viper.