Like other members of their family they are more closely related to pocket gophers than to true mice.

They have long claws which are used for digging burrows and sifting sandy substrates for seeds.

They have also been found to steal seeds from kangaroo rats' dens.

[1] They store these seeds in large hairy external cheek pouches.

They are not true hibernators, but will go into torpor and stay in their burrows for extended periods of time.