Ord's kangaroo rats are granivorous rodents that belong to the Family Heteromyidae. They have grooved upper incisor teeth and the rostrum of the skull is long and narrow. The large, bulbous auditory bullae assist this species to detect relatively low frequency sounds that humans cannot hear (such as the sounds of wing-beats of hunting owls).

This species is found in sandy grassland and scrubland habitats in the Great Plains of North America between central Mexico and southern Canada (Alberta and Saskatchewan). In Alberta, Ord's kangaroo rats occur in the "Middle Sand Hills", which includes Canadian Forces Base Suffield and the vicinities of the towns of Bindloss and Hilda between the South Saskatchewan and Red Deer rivers. In nearby Saskatchewan, Ord's kangaroo rats appear to be abundant on the actively-eroding sand dunes of the "Great Sand Hills".

Ord's kangaroo rats are neither true kangaroos nor rats. They earned the name "kangaroo" for the large hind limbs and feet upon which they hop. The name "rat" was assigned because they have a very long tail, as do true rats like Norway rats (Rattus norwegicus). The dorsal pelage of Ord's kangaroo rats is light brown with white highlights whereas the ventral pelage is entirely white. Kangaroo rats are nocturnal and therefore they have large, sensitive eyes and dense vibrissae. The long tail has a paintbrush-style tuft on the end.

Natural predators of kangaroo rats in Alberta include badgers, coyotes, least weasels, burrowing owls, great horned owls, short-eared owls, bull snakes, and prairie rattlesnakes.