Abstract: Rhombomys opimus belongs to the subfamily Gerbellinae of family Muridae, order Rodentia. It has a vast distribution range from Iran and Afghanistan via Kazakhstan to China and Mongolia, being a species with the biggest body size in Gerbellinae and a key rodent in the Middle and Central Asian arid zone. R. opimus digs complex burrow system for establishing settlement where a family group of 2-3 generations lives together. R. opimus feeds Haloxylon ammodendron, Tamarix chinensis, and various others plants, giving strong impact on vegetation development and productivity, and consequently, on the structure and processes of desert ecosystem. This paper summarized the research findings on the habitat, feeding behavior, food storage, alertness behavior, territorial behavior, social behavior, and spatial dispersion of R. opimus as well as its activity rhythm during daytime, and discussed the further research contents about this species to understand its biological characteristics better and to supply theoretical and practical bases for the effective control of R. opimus, maintaining the stable and healthy development of desert ecosystem, and the management of desertification.

Key words: Loess Plateau, Semi-arid region, Robinia pseudoacacia, Platycladus orientalis, Soil water productivity, Soil water availability