Mammals of the WorldNorthern Pika
Ochotona hyperborea
- Order
- Lagomorpha
- Family
- Ochotonidae
- Genus
- Ochotona
- IUCN status
- LC
- Distribution
- Russia|Mongolia|Japan
- Realm
- Palearctic
Other names: Anadyr Northern Pika|Chukchi Northern Pika|Lower Indigirka Northern Pika|Northern Baikal Northern Pika|Rusty Northern Pika|Tuva Northern Pika|Ural Northern Pika
About this species
- Diet
- Herbs, grasses, leaves, and twigs
- Habitat
- Rocky taiga and mountain slopes
- Range
- Northern Asia, including Mongolia
The northern or Siberian pika is a small tailless lagomorph with a rounded body, short legs, and rounded ears. Coat tone changes seasonally and geographically, usually appearing brownish in summer and greyer in winter. Its form is suited to moving through rock crevices rather than sustained running. Separation from alpine and Pallas's pikas should use locality, calls, and specialist identification characters. (Wikipedia, general species account)
The species ranges across northern Asia and reaches Mongolia, occupying rocky taiga, mountain slopes, and boulder fields. It feeds on herbs, grasses, leaves, and twigs and stores cut vegetation as hay for winter use. Individuals remain near shelter and use vocal calls to signal. The opened account supplied no dependable Mongolia-specific breeding or litter-size values or named public viewing location. (Wikipedia, general species account; Mammal Diversity Database)
Description: Wildlife of Japan guide, Wildlife of Everywhere (wildlifeofeverywhere.com); general species information paraphrased from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)