[2] It is found in Texas and Oklahoma in the United States, where it often lives in association with brush species, like mesquite and lotebush, growing in areas with firm clay-loam soils.

[3] [4] The rat has been shown in a study that analyzed cheek pouch contents of several individuals to eat leaves of grasses and some perennials, stems, and seeds.

In this one study area near fields that contained Johnson grass and cultivated oats, seeds from these plants were found to make up the largest part of their diet.

One of the largest threats that this organism faces is habitat loss and degradation due to agriculture within Texas.

Proper grazing helps create amounts of bare ground needed for dust bathing, movement, seed caching, and burrow sites.