Royle's Pika

About this species

Size

Length 17–22cm

Diet

Grass, hay and other vegetation

Habitat

Narrow creeks and existing burrow systems, filled with hay piles and pine leaves

Range

Bhutan, China, India, Nepal and Pakistan; the most common Himalayan pika

Royle's pika, also called the Himalayan hare, is the most common pika in the Himalaya, about 17–22 cm long, and can be confused with the large-eared pika. It has a slightly arched head, a rufous-grey body and a chestnut-coloured head, with sparse hair in front of the ears. It is found in Bhutan, China, India, Nepal and Pakistan (Wikipedia, general species account).

It is a crepuscular forager, inactive in the midday heat, and forages more in the monsoon when food is more plentiful. It does not make its own nest but uses narrow creeks and existing burrow systems, filling them with hay piles and pine leaves. It typically lives alone and at low densities across its range, though densities of 12.5 per hectare in Nepal and 16.2 per hectare in the Garhwal Himalaya have been recorded (Wikipedia, general species account).

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