They are large-bodied ground squirrels, almost as big as a fully grown domestic cat. They have short coarse fur on their body. The colour ranges from yellowish-brown to buff, with irregular blackish-brown patches. They have a blackish patch near their snout and forehead. They have short tails relative to their body size (about 1/3), and the tail tip is often black. They have very prominent front incisors.

They are found in the Trans-Himalayas and parts of central Asia around the Tibetan plateau. They are found in Kashmir and Ladakh, parts of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, and parts of Arunachal Pradesh in India. They are also found in Nepal and China.

They are found in high elevation alpine meadows, typically above the tree line. They are also found in rocky mountain slopes near short grassy patches. They occasionally use farmland outside villages.

They are known to feed on plants on grassy pastures including flowers, fruits and juicy parts of grasses.