The rock pocket mouse, Chaetodipus intermedius, occurs in parts of Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and northern Mexico. In Utah, the species occurs only in the extreme southern area of the state. Rock pocket mice are nocturnal and inactive during the winter; inactive periods are spent in underground burrows.
Preferred habitats of the rock pocket mouse include rocky desert and grassland areas with sparse vegetation. Females may be able to give birth to multiple litters of one to seven young during the spring and summer months of each year. Seeds are the primary food of the rock pocket mouse, although insects are also occasionally consumed. Similar to other pocket mouse species, the rock pocket mouse has external fur-lined cheek pouches used for temporary food storage. Long-term seed storage occurs in underground burrows.