Plateau Pika

About this species

Weight

About 140g

Habitat

High alpine desert, steppe and meadows; about 3,100–5,000m

Range

Tibetan Plateau, mostly in China; also India and Nepal

Litter size

2–5 litters a year of about 2–7 young

The plateau pika, or black-lipped pika, is a small, diurnal, non-hibernating mammal weighing about 140 g, reddish tan above and whitish yellow below. It prefers elevations of 3,100–5,000 m, mostly on the Tibetan Plateau. It can change its fat tissue from white to brown, which supports heat production without shivering, and it lowers its reliance on oxygen by reducing fat metabolism (Wikipedia, general species account).

It is found in China, India and Nepal in high alpine deserts, steppe and meadows. It lives in monogamous and polygynandrous groups of about three males and three or four females with their offspring, and the breeding season runs from April to August. Females produce two to five litters of two to seven young, about three weeks apart, and young do not disperse in the year of birth. Its burrows aerate soil and give nests to small birds and reptiles, and it is the favourite prey of brown bears in Hoh Xil (Wikipedia, general species account).

Description: Wildlife of India guide, Wildlife of Everywhere (wildlifeofeverywhere.com); general species information paraphrased from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)