The upper parts range from pale brownish or buffish to reddish brown and have a more or less distinct dark dorsal stripe and a dark crown spot. There is a sprinkling of black or brown hairs on the back and sides. The underparts, feet, and tail are white, the latter being scantily haired. The hind feet have only four toes each, the soles are hairy, the limbs are slender, and the ears are large. The teeth are similar to those of Dendromus and Steatomys.
Females have eight mammae.
The gerbil mouse is associated with sandy plains and inland grassy velds. It is nocturnal and terrestrial. It constructs a burrow by digging a passageway that slants downward to a depth of 60-120 cm, where a chamber is excavated and the soil is used to fill up the original tunnel. A nest is made of grass and often of feathers. From the nest chamber a new tunnel is made to the surface.