Qinghai voles change their food choices with the seasons. Before mid-June, they like to eat the rhizomes of Phyllostachys edulis; after mid-June, they like to eat the green parts of plants such as lichen grass, sorghum grass, lycae grass, and stipa. Qinghai voles eat 26~38g of fresh grass per day, which is about half of their body weight.

Qinghai voles inhabit swamp meadows and alpine grasses at an altitude of 3700-4800m Meadow grasslands and alpine semi-desert grasslands, prefer to choose sparse grasslands and shrub grasslands with mild climate, loose soil, lush grasses, and grasses with turmeric, sagebrush, sedge grass, and sand grass as habitat sites.

Qinghai vole has a strong migration habit, and the migration distance can reach several kilometers, so its habitat is not stable. In its distribution area, the number of effective openings can vary from tens to hundreds of times, which is related to its frequent relocation.