The rat has buff-yellow fur with white underparts, fading to dark brown at the tip of the tail.

[5] The rats are herbivorous, feeding primarily on halophytic vegetation, such as Atriplex and Suaeda,[7] although they will occasionally eat other plants such as grass.

[5] The rats scrape off and discard salt from the leaves of Atriplex saltbushes with their teeth and bristles around their mouths before eating them.

[8] Although this reduces their salt intake, they still produce highly concentrated urine to help maintain their water balance.

[5] This species of rodent has (as of 2023) the third highest number of chromosomes of any known mammal (2n = 102),[10] behind the tree pangolin (2n = 113/114)[11] and the Bolivian bamboo rat (2n = 118).