Mammals of the WorldAlpine Pika
Ochotona alpina
- Order
- Lagomorpha
- Family
- Ochotonidae
- Genus
- Ochotona
- IUCN status
- LC
- Distribution
- Russia|Mongolia|Kazakhstan|China
- Realm
- Palearctic
Other names: Altai Pika|Eastern Sayan Pika|Eversmann's Altai Pika|Middle-Altai Pika|Tuva Pika
About this species
- Diet
- Mosses, stems, tree branches, and pine nuts
- Habitat
- Cold rocky mountain habitats
- Range
- Western Mongolia, eastern Kazakhstan, Russia, and northern China
The alpine pika is a small, round-bodied lagomorph with short limbs, rounded ears, and no externally visible tail. Summer coat colour varies among subspecies but is generally dark or cinnamon brown; winter fur becomes greyer with a yellowish cast. Its compact shape distinguishes it from hares, while locality and detailed skull or call characters help separate it from other Mongolian pikas. (Wikipedia, general species account)
It lives in very cold mountain regions of western Mongolia, eastern Kazakhstan, southern Siberia, and northern China. A generalist herbivore, it takes mosses, plant stems, tree twigs, and pine nuts. Like other rock-dwelling pikas it is associated with crevices that provide shelter near feeding areas, but the opened account did not support Mongolia-specific hay-pile behaviour, reproduction, or a named viewing locality. (Wikipedia, general species account)
Description: Wildlife of Mongolia guide, Wildlife of Everywhere (wildlifeofeverywhere.com); general species information paraphrased from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)