CONTENTS

Living Organisms / Animalia / Craniata / Mammalia / Lagomorpha / Ochotonidae / Ochotona / Species

Ochotona hyperborea - Northern pika (Click photographs/illustrations for full picture & further details)

INDEX - INFORMATION AVAILABLE

Alternative Names (Synonyms)

Specific Ochotona hyperborea information

• This pika has also been given the specific names of :

General pika information

• The name pika originated from the Tungus of Siberia who attempted to mimic the call "peeka" of the local pika species. (B285.w5g)
• The generic name of Ochotona is derived from the Mongolian name for pikas: "ogdoi". (B285.w5g)
• Mouse hares or conies are alternative names for pikas. (B147)
• "Pishchukha" is the Russian common name for all species of pika and some gerbils (Rhombomys opimus, Meriones tamareiscinus (Muridae - (Family)). (B605.3.w3)

Names for new-borns / juveniles

Names for males

Names for females

General Appearance

General pika information

• Pikas are small, egg shaped, rodent-like lagomorphs which weigh under 500 g. They have rounded, relatively large ears, short legs, and a very short tail which is hardly visible. (B285.w5g)

Newborn:

General pika information 

• Newborn pikas are helpless and naked (B147, B287) or slightly furred. (B287)

Similar Species

• Ochotona alpina - Alpine pika
  • The diploid chromosome number in the Alpine pika is 42.
  • In the sympatry zone, the mature Ochotona hyperborea has consistently smaller measurements than that of the Alpine pika and is also usually more brightly coloured.
  • There are many skull differences between the two species; compared with Ochotona alpina, Ochotona hyperborea has:
    • a shorter and more rounded skull;
    • less elongated orbits and a markedly shorter rostrum;
    • relatively wider but flatter auditory bullae;
    • a cranium that is less flexed posteriorly.
  • Ochotona hyperborea has a high pitched, very short, whistle which is easily distinguished from the sharp strident whistle of the Alpine pika. (B605.3.w3)
• Ochotona collaris - Collared pika
  • The collared pika has a diploid chromosome number of 68.
• Ochotona pallasi - Pallas's pika
  • This pika has a diploid chromosome number of 38.
• Ochotona princeps - American pika
• Ochotona pusilla - Steppe pika
  • The Steppe pika has a diploid chromosome number of 68.

(B605.3.w3)

Sexual Dimorphism

• Male and female pikas are similar in size and can be difficult to tell apart from one another. (B147)

References

Species Authors & Referees

• See: DIRECTORY- Organisations working with Rabbits and their Relatives

• Rabbits, Hares and Pikas Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan
• See also: The Electronic Library- further reading for "Rabbits and their Relatives: Health & Management"

Husbandry Information

Notes

• --

Management Techniques

• Accommodation Design for Mammals
• Mammal Behavioural Requirements
• Food and Feeding for Mammals
• Mammal Handling & Movement
• Mammal Identification
• Preventative Medicine for Mammals
• Rearing of Mammals
• Reproductive Management of Mammals
• Management of Unwanted or Illegally Held Animals

Measurement & Weight

Notes

• In the sympatry zone, the mature Ochotona hyperborea has consistently smaller measurements than that of the similar species of Ochotona alpina - Alpine pika. 
  • "Another aspect of the geographical variability of this species is the character displacement of its size where it is sympatric with O. alpina. The northern pika becomes smaller the closer it is to that part of its range where it is sympatric with the alpine pika. For example, northern pikas in the Bulnai Nuro Mountains, MPR (98º00'N, 49°05'E), where there are no alpine pikas, are larger than where found in sympatry with alpine pikas both to the north and south". (B605.3.w3)
• The southern races of Ochotona hyperborea (coreana, mantchurica and yesoentsis) live in areas where there are no Alpine pikas and these races are larger than average for this species. (B605.3.w3)

General pika information

LENGTH
Adult: 

General pika information

• Pikas measure 120-300 mm. 
  • 120-285 mm. (B285.w5g)
  • 125-300 mm, with most species averaging around 200 mm or less. (B147)
• Males and females are similar in size. (B147)

Newborns: --

HEIGHT
Adults and sub-adults: --
Juveniles: --

WEIGHT
Adult: 

General pika information

• Pikas weigh 50-400 g
  • 50-350 g. (B285.w5g)
  • 125-400 g. (B147)

Newborns:

General pika information

• Newborn pikas weigh about 9 g. (B147)
  • Range 4.1 - 12.7 g, depending on species. (B287)

GROWTH RATE:--

Head and Neck

Notes

Adult:

Skull

General pika information

• In general, the head of pikas is blunt and short, and the skull is quite flattened rather than arched. There is also a constriction between the orbits. (B147)

Specific Ochotona hyperborea information

• Ochotona hyperborea has no fenestrae in the frontal bones and as in Ochotona alpina - Alpine pika, the anterior palative foramina are completely separated from the incisive foramina. (B605.3.w3)
• Compared with the similar species of Ochotona alpina - Alpine pika, Ochotona hyperborea has:
  • a shorter and more rounded skull;
  • less elongated orbits and a markedly shorter rostrum;
  • relatively wider but flatter auditory bullae;
  • a cranium that is less flexed posteriorly.
    (B605.3.w3)

• General pika information: Pikas have small, rounded ears which are 12-36 mm in length. (B147; B285.w5g)

• General pika information: Pikas can completely close their nostrils. (B147)

• General pika information: These are longer in the rock dwelling pikas, such as this species, than in burrowing pikas. (B605.3.w3)

DENTITION

• There are 26 teeth in total - two less than other lagomorphs who have one more upper molar on each side. (B285.w5a, B605.1.w1)
• The dental formula of pikas is 2/1 incisors, 0/0 canines, 3/2 premolars, and 2/3 molars. (B147, B605.1.w1)

Incisors

• Lagomorphs, including pikas, differ from rodents by having two pairs of upper incisors rather than just the one pair. The additional set of incisors are called peg teeth and are found directly behind the long pair in the upper jaw. (B147, B285.w5a, B605.1.w1)
• At birth, lagomorphs actually have three pairs of upper incisors, but they quickly lose the outer incisor on each side. (B147)
• The incisors are covered completely by enamel. (B147)
• The upper incisors' roots are found in the skull's premaxillary bones. However, the length of the lower incisors' roots varies. (B147)
  • [Note: lagomorphs have teeth which grow throughout their lives. For this reason the portion of the teeth which is not exposed (not above the gum line) is strictly speaking not a "root"; however, it is sometimes convenient to describe it as a root.]
• The first upper incisors have a cutting edge which is V-shaped. (B147)
• The peg teeth lack a cutting edge. (B147)

Molars

• Pikas have high crowned cheek teeth with no roots [the teeth grow continuously throughout life]. (B147)
• The lower tooth rows are closer together than the upper tooth rows. (B147)

EYES:

General pika information

• Adult: Pikas have eyes positioned to give a broad field of vision (B285.w5a)
• Newborn: Neonates are blind; the eyes open at eight to ten days. (B287)

Legs, Spine and Tracks

Notes

• Pikas have short legs. (B285.w5g)
• The hindlimbs are just slightly longer than the forelimbs. (B147, B430.w2, B605.2.w2)
• They have five digits on each foot. (B147)
• The feet are heavily furred on the underside. (B147)
• In rock dwelling pikas, such as this species, the claws are more curved and less powerful than those of the burrowing pikas. (B605.3.w3)

Tail

Notes

• The tail of pikas is virtually absent at a length of 5 mm (B285.w5g); it is not visible. (B147; B430.w2)

Skin / Coat / Pelage

Notes

Adult: 

• Fine, long, soft and dense coat with fur that covers the feet including the under surface. (B147, B285.w5g)
• Most pikas are lighter ventrally than dorsally. (B285.w5g)
• Most species have two moults per year with a brighter summer coat - often a yellowish red - and a greyer winter coat. (B147)

Specific Ochotona hyperborea information

• Summer coat of Ochotona hyperborea:
  • Dorsum: Light brownish to rufous.
  • Sides: Rufous.
  • Ventrum: Uniform rufous to white.

  (B605.3.w3)

• Winter coat of Ochotona hyperborea is significantly greyer with a brownish tinge. (B605.3.w3)
• In the sympatric zone with Ochotona alpina - Alpine pika, Ochotona hyperborea is often more brightly coloured than the Alpine pika. (B605.3.w3)

Adult Colour variations:

Specific Ochotona hyperborea information

• Melanistic forms may occur in this species. (B605.3.w3)

Newborn/Juvenile:

General pika information:

• Newborn pikas are hairless (B147, B287) or slightly furred. (B287)

Detailed Anatomy Notes
(Summary information provided for pertinent species-specific data cross-referenced in Wildpro)

Notes

• Mammary glands:
  • Females have four or six mammary glands. (B147)
• Female reproductive tract:
  • The uterus is duplex. The placenta is discoid, deciduate and hemochorial,with a mesometrial, superficial implantation. (B287)
• Male reproductive tract:
  • Testes:
    • The testes are intra-abdominal outside the breeding season. (B147, B287)
    • During the breeding season they are found in folds of skin at the base of the penis. (B147)
  • Penis:
    • Lagomorphs do not have a baculum. (B147)
• Scent glands: Pikas have scent glands, as do all lagomorphs. (B285.w5a)

Natural Diet

Notes

NATURAL DIET:

General pika information

• Pikas are herbivorous - they eat grasses, flowering stalks, and leaves. Pikas have a preference for those plants highest in protein or other chemicals important to them. (B285.w5g)

• Pikas eat a range of vegetable matter: "in the summer and early autumn the animals gather grasses, sedges, weeds, and many of the large flowering and woody plants, sometimes climbing a few meters up in trees and out on limbs to cut twigs. The material is sometimes place in exposed locations for curing by the sun"; many populations create haystacks to store food for winter. (B147)

QUANTITY EATEN: --

STUDY METHODS: --

Hibernation / Aestivation

Notes

• Pikas do not hibernate. (B147, B285.w5g, B605.3.w3)

Haematology / Biochemistry

Notes

HAEMATOLOGY: --

BIOCHEMISTRY: --

Detailed Physiology Notes
(Summary information provided for pertinent species-specific data cross-referenced in WILDPro)

Notes

METABOLISM (TEMPERATURE):

General pika information  

Pikas have a high body temperature. (B285.w5g)

RESPIRATORY SYSTEM (RESPIRATION): --

CIRCULATORY SYSTEM (PULSE/HEART RATE): --

GASTROINTESTINAL SYSTEM (FAECES AND GUT MOTILITY):

General pika information

• Jaw motion: Pikas have a vertical or transverse jaw motion. (B147); pikas use a side-to-side jaw motion. (B285.w5g)
• Coprophagy: Pikas produce two types of faeces, hard faeces like pepper seeds - small green spherical pellets - which are passed during the day; and soft faeces, sticky and dark green/black, passed at night. Faeces of the latter type have high a energy value and B vitamin levels, and are re-ingested. This behaviour, known as coprophagy, may have a similar function to the ruminant behaviour of chewing the cud. (B147, B285.w5a)

URINARY SYSTEM (URINE): --

CHROMOSOMES:

Specific Ochotona hyperborea information

• The diploid chromosome number of this species is 40. (B605.3.w3)

MUSCULO-SKELETAL SYSTEM: --

SPECIAL SENSES AND VOCALISATIONS:

Vocalisations:

General pika information

• Pikas are known to be more vocal than other lagomorphs. (B285.w5a)
• Rock-dwelling pikas such as this species, tend to have only two vocalisations: 
  • a short call which usually contains one or two note squeaks, used for announcing their presence or warning others of predators;
  • and a long call used by males during the breeding season which is "a series of squeaks lasting up to 30 seconds". 
    (B285.w5g)

Specific Ochotona hyperborea information

• Ochotona hyperborea produces very loud and sharp vocalisations. (B605.3.w3)
  • A long call is only uttered by males and is composed of a chattering sound that is followed by a sequence of sharp, loud whistles. The dynamic spectrum of calls is individually specific. (B605.3.w3)
  • There is also a short call and a trill that are used by all individuals irrespective of sex and age . (B605.3.w3)
  • The short call: This species has a high pitched, very short, whistle which is easily distinguished from the sharp strident whistle of the sympatric Ochotona alpina - Alpine pika. The short call is used for communication between paired females and males. In spring it is only uttered by females whereas in autumn it is used by both sexes. When this call is used as an alarm signal, the series of calls used by Ochotona hyperborea is reported to be fewer than that found in the Ochotona alpina. The spectrum of these short calls in Ochotona hyperborea is very broad and also varies geographically. (B605.3.w3)

Variations in the short call of Ochotona hyperborea

• Four dialects have been found in this species. Some subspecies, e.g. Ochotona hyperborea mantchurica, probably are composite because they have been found to include three different dialect forms. "Also, O. hyperborea from the Soviet Far East are usually placed in mantchurica, yet these animals have calls identical to those of yesoensis from Hokkaido Island, Japan". (B605.3.w3)
• The systematic status of these forms of dialect in this species is not clear. For example, a variable population has been found in the Putorana Mountains (south of the Taimyr Peninsula). Cluster analysis of twelve cranial measurements indicated that there were three separate groups in this area: two different forms of Ochotona hyperborea and intergrades between them. "Analysis of the dialects of these forms confirms that there is a secondary contact zone with limited hybridization between the two primary forms". However, in the Yana Basin, all calls have been found to be intermediate between the same two forms of dialect. "This population could be interpreted as being secondarily stabilized after complete introgression. (B605.3.w3)

Scent glands:

• Pikas have scent glands, as do all lagomorphs. (B285.w5a)
• The two functions of scent marking are thought to be:
  • territory maintenance and possibly advertisement.
  • sexual advertisement leading on to mating.
    (B605.3.w3)

Specific Ochotona hyperborea information

• Ochotona hyperborea marks its territory by rubbing its neck gland on stones or by urinating in specific places. Neck gland marking is used more frequently in the spring compared with the autumn. In autumn, an intruder's visit into the centre of another pika's home range stimulates marking by the host. (B605.3.w3)

Feeding Behaviour

Notes

• Pikas are unable to grasp plants with their forepaws; they eat with a side-to-side jaw motion and carry vegetation in their mouths. (B285.w5g)

Haying and foraging 

• In spring, summer and/or autumn (fall) (depending on species/location) many pika species spend much time "haying" - harvesting mouthfuls of vegetation which are carried back to the den for storage. They build up these stores, resembling piles of hay, and use them for consumption during periods of sparse vegetation, often over-harvesting so that it is a rare occurrence for them to run out of food. (B285.w5g, B605.3.w3) 
• Pika species living in areas where winter snow is common may also make tunnels in the snow to reach and harvest any nearby vegetation. (B285.w5g)
• Some species continue to forage throughout winter rather than haying, because snows are uncommon. (B285.w5g)
• Even at a fairly low population density of ten to twelve pikas per hectare, vegetation storage by pikas may be up to 30 kg per hectare. (B605.3.w3)

Ochotona hyperborea specific information

• Ochotona hyperborea stores large amounts of vegetation in haypiles. Other species of mammals also feed on the Northern pika's haypiles including:
  • Rangifer tarandus - Reindeer
  • Ovis nivicola - snow sheep
  • Equus caballus - Domestic horse
  • Lepus timidus - white hares
  • Marmota camtschatica (in early spring) (Sciuridae)
  • Voles (Muridae (Family))
• "In an area of dense population on the middle Lena River, there was an inverse relationship between the density of pikas and that of small rodents; nevertheless, during winter, voles were often caught on pika haypiles".
• This species of pika exhibits cleptoparasitic behaviour with males having been observed stealing hay from up to five conspecifics.

(B605.3.w3)

Parental Behaviour

Notes

Social Behaviour / Territoriality / Predation / Learning

Notes

Social

General pika information  

• The rock dwelling pikas are often relatively asocial. (B605.3.w3)

• It is rare that they interact and usually it is to repel an intruder if they do so. (B285.w5g)

• Even in a pair of pikas which are contributing to a shared hay pile, they spend a large part of the day apart. (B285.w5g)

Territoriality

General pika information  

• Pikas are highly territorial lagomorphs; both sexes use scent marking and vocalisations to maintain territories. (B605.1.w1)

• The rock-dwelling pikas have large territories defended in pairs (Asian species). (B285.w5g, B605.3.w3)

• The population density is low, at 5-25 per acre, and reasonably stable over a period of time. (B285.w5g, B605.3.w3)

  • Population densities of pikas in rocky areas do not usually reach more than 20 per hectare. (B147)

Ochotona hyperborea specific information

• Paired adult Northern pikas live in a joint territory in which they remain for life. This results in a "lasting spatial mosaic". Even after the death of the territory occupants and then resettlement by other pikas, the territory boundaries usually remain the same. A male Northern pika is more likely than a female to cross a territory boundary into an area inhabited by neighbouring conspecifics. Females will usually ignore each other and will not respond to each other's vocalisations. However, the male and female pika will exchange calls most of the year and it is likely that they recognise each other's calls because they will not respond to the vocalisations of other conspecifics. In autumn, they store hay together in the same locations. Body contact is rare between male and female partners unlike Ochotona dauurica - Daurian pika and Ochotona curzoniae - Plateau pika where the partners will cuddle up together. (B605.3.w3)
• There is also some variability to the paired social organisation of Ochotona hyperborea. There have been reports of unpaired males or females, or threesomes which comprise of two females and one male although this particular scenario is only found in areas of high pika density. (B605.3.w3)
• In the southern range of Ochtona hyperborea, young pikas disperse and "form couples in the summer of their birth year". However, in contrast, in the northern part of this pika's range, young pikas that are form late litters will spend the winter with their parents. In the Ural Mountains, it has been reported that the young not only over-wintered with their parents but they also constructed mutual hay stores with them. (B605.3.w3)
• A crucial point of the behaviour of this species is that the social organisation of this pika (whether of couples of threesomes) is not actually associated with the structure of the sexual relations. During the mating season, all males will visit no less than three females; and each female will be visited by several males, sometimes simultaneously. Some males that live in couples will travel long distances (over 200 metres) to visit other females. (B605.3.w3)
• Boxing may occur between pikas but the duration of these bouts is only short, lasting around one second (just a short push). (B605.3.w3)

(B605.3.w3)

• Ochotona hyperborea marks its territory by rubbing its neck gland on stones or by urinating in specific places. Neck gland marking is used more frequently in the spring compared with the autumn. In autumn, an intruder's visit into the centre of another pika's home range stimulates marking by the host. (B605.3.w3)

Population densities

General pika information  

• In general, the population density of rock dwelling pikas, such as this species, is usually low at 5-25 per acre, and reasonably stable over a period of time. (B285.w5g, B605.3.w3)

Ochotona hyperborea specific information

• The density of Ochotona hyperborea varies with the locality and the populations remain fairly constant over time. Estimates of density include:
  • 30 pikas per hectare on the lower Lena River (1961)
  • 38 per hectare in the Kolyma Highlands (1969)
  • 40 per hectare on the Sokhondo Mountain 
  • 3.5 to 2.2 per hectare in Japan (1969, 1970)
• The usual density of Ochotona hyperborea is approximately 20 pikas per hectare. The higher estimates above were either from small patches of talus or from extremely optimal habitat. "Usually there is a higher density on smaller patches of talus. Northern pikas live mostly on the peripheries of larger talus not far from their feeding territories. Thus in estimations of density, it is necessary to consider not only the area of the talus, but also the length of its border. If one does not do this, density estimates may be inflated." This is the case in two separate studies that reported 210 pikas per hectare (Safronov and Akhremento, 1982) and 100 pikas per hectare (Revin, 1968). In each of these studies the pikas occupied long and narrow ramparts of logs that were 4 to 15 metres wide 
• The sex ratio of Northern pika populations is 1:1, although in the study by Safronov and Akhremento where there was an abnormally dense population of 210 pikas per hectare (see above), the males were reported to comprise 60% of the population. Also in this study, it was reported that in mid winter, yearlings comprised 62% of the population with 28 % of the population being made up of one year old pikas and 8% by two year olds. Results of other studies of Ochotona hyperborea populations are:
  • Belyaev (1968): a 3 year study of one population reported a constant size but with a 65 -75 % annual renewal of the population
  • Stubbe and Chotolchu (1971): the generation turnover was two years; 67 % of the sampled population were young.
  • Gashev (1966, 1971): 20% of the sampled population were two to three years old and it is rare for a pika to survive three winters.
  • Revin (1968): in September, yearlings made up 50% of the population, adult one year old pikas 40.5% and adults of two years of age or older only comprising 9.5% of the population.

Predation

General pika information  

• Pikas act as prey for many birds and mammals.

Ochotona hyperborea specific information

• This pika has been reported as important prey for some Mustelidae (sables Martes zibellina (Martes - (Genus)) and Mustela erminea - Stoat). (B605.3.w3)

(B605.3.w3)

Sexual Behaviour

Notes

• In general, it appears that pikas are monogamous. (B285.w5g, B605.3.w3)

Ochotona hyperborea specific information

• A crucial point of the behaviour of Ochotona hyperborea is that the social organisation of this pika (whether of couples of threesomes) is not actually associated with the structure of the sexual relations. During the mating season, all males will visit no less than three females; and each female will be visited by several males, sometimes simultaneously. Some males that live in couples will travel long distances (over 200 metres) to visit other females. 

(B605.3.w3)

Activity Patterns, Self-grooming and Navigation

Notes

ACTIVITY PATTERNS: 

General pika information

• Pikas are agile and lively. (B285.w5g)

SELF-GROOMING: --

CIRCADIAN RHYTHM:

• Mainly active by day. Pikas are well-adapted to the cold and sensitive to even moderately warm conditions, therefore they tend to be active only during the cooler parts of the day. (B285.w5g)
• Pikas may be active at all hours, in particular, early morning and evenings. It seems that they are less active on sunny days compared with cloudy days. (B147)
• Pikas which live at high altitudes may be active all day, whereas pikas at warmer, lower altitudes emerge only in the morning and evening. (B285.w5g)

SPEED OF MOVEMENT: --

NAVIGATION: --

General Habitat Type

Notes

• In general, most pikas live in remote high mountains and wild country and are well adapted to the cold and to living in rocky steppe and alpine habitats. (B285.w5g, B605.3.w3)

Specific Ochotona hyperborea information

• Ochotona hyperborea is a widely distributed species and is mainly found inhabiting the montane taiga of boreal Asia. "Its northern boundary penetrates the tundra, but in the south it may be found in more xeric situations". 
• Ochotona hyperborea is more labile in its habitat choices than the closely related Ochotona alpina - Alpine pika: "In the northern tundra region, it occupies huge open rock fields and in northern Yakutia, polygonal clefts that appear in the permafrost". Throughout a lot of its range, Ochotona hyperborea inhabits rocky terrain in dark coniferous forests that are laced with mossy banks. It may also burrow around or under tree stumps or fallen logs. 
• In this pika's sympatric zones with Ochotona alpina - Alpine pika, there is more competition for shelters and thus Ochotona hyperborea's range of habitats is more restricted. Partial segregation of the two species occurs by altitude or by microhabitat in the sympatric zones:
  • Ochotone hyperborea often occupies talus with smaller stones due to the competition for shelter;
  • Ochotona alpina lives at both higher and lower elevations in the Khangai Mountains than the Ochotona hyperborea;
  • however, on the Tanu-Ola Ridge in Tuva, Ochotona hyperborea lives at higher elevations than Ochotona alpina and inhabits talus composed of small stones. 
• "In areas outside of the zone of sympatry, for example the Khangay and Tarbagatay ridges, Mongolia, the northern pika lives mostly in forested taluses in the forest zone".

(B605.3.w3)

Nests / Burrows / Shelters

Notes

• Ochotona hyperborea is characteristically a rock-dwelling species. (B605.3.w3)

General pika information

• Rock dwelling pikas nest among rocks or fallen logs. (B285.w5g)

Distribution and Movement (Migration etc.)

Notes

Ochotona hyperborea is widely distributed and is mainly found inhabiting the montane taiga of boreal Asia. (B605.3.w3)

This species can be found in the following regions: 

• South east Russia
  • Ural mountains. (B285.w5i, B605.3.w3, B607.w20)
  • Sayan mountains. (B285.w5i, B607.w20)
  • Putorana. (B607.w20)
  • East bank of the lower and middle Lena River eastwards to Chukotka, Koryatsk, and Kamchatka. (B285.w5i, B605.3.w3; B607.w20)
  • Upper Yenesei, Transbaikalia, and Amur regions. (B607.w20)
  • Sakhalin Island.
• North central Mongolia .
• North east China.
• North Korea.
• Hokkaido, Japan. 
  (B285.w5i, B605.3.w3, B607.w20)
• "The northern pika lives on some islands in the Bering Strait (Arakamchechen Island) and the Sea of Okhotsk (Ol'ski Island in the Tauyskaya Guba, Ognev 1940; Great Shantar Island, Krivosheyev 1984)". (B605.3.w3)

Ochotona hyperborea svatoshi can be found in between the Argun and Shilka rivers. (B605.3.w3)

Parapatric with:

• Ochotona alpina - Alpine pika; The two species have parapatric ranges in the western part of the Sayan mountains. (B605.3.w3)

Sympatric with: 

• Ochotona alpina - Alpine pika, although these two species are partially separated by microhabitat or by altitude:
  • the Alpine pika often occupies talus with larger stones due to competition for shelter;
  • Khangai mountains, Mongolia: the Alpine pika lives both below and above the Northern pika;
  • Tuva: the Northern pika lives at higher elevations.

  (B605.3.w3)

Species variation

Notes

Overall, Ochotona hyperborea is a very polymorphic species. (B605.3.w3)

Currently recognised subspecies include:

• Ochotona hyperborea cinereoflava
• Ochotona hyperborea coreana
• Ochotona hyperborea ferruginea; also known as Ochotona hyperborea kamtschaticus
• Ochotona hyperborea hyperborea; also known as Ochotona hyperborea kolymensis; Ochotona hyperborea litoralis
• Ochotona hyperborea mantchurica
• Ochotona hyperborea normalis; also known as Ochotona hyperborea davanica; Ochotona hyperborea svatoshi
• Ochotona hyperborea uralensis
• Ochotona hyperborea yesoensis; also known as Ochotona hyperborea ornata; Ochotona hyperborea sadaki
• Ochotona hyperborea yoshikurai

(B605.3.w3; B607.w20)

NB: names in non-bold font are reported as synonyms for that particular subspecies from the reference B607.w20.

Notes

• Ochotona hyperborea normalis
  • Ochotona hyperborea normalis has been previously listed as a synonym of Ochotona hyperborea hyperborea. In fact, the form normalis was described on the basis of just the one specimen that was found in the "Khalazansk Mountains" (south Kamchatka) which is also where the two syntypes of Ochotona hyperborea ferruginea were found. All three of these specimens were collected at the same time. Based on the normalis specimen's drawing, normalis was actually a subadult moulting into adult fur. "Formally, pikas from Kamchatka might be called O. hyperborea normalis, but for reasons of stability of nomenclature we keep the name ferruginea for Kamchatka pikas". (B605.3.w3)
• Vocalisations
  • Some systemic refinements might be able to be made based on variations in the alarm calls of these pikas. Four dialects have been found in this species. Some subspecies, e.g. Ochotona hyperborea mantchurica, probably are composite because they have been found to include three different dialect forms. "Also, O. hyperborea from the Soviet Far East are usually placed in mantchurica, yet these animals have calls identical to those of yesoensis from Hokkaido Island, Japan". (B605.3.w3)
  • The systematic status of these forms of dialect in this species is not clear. For example, a variable population has been found in the Putorana Mountains (south of the Taimyr Peninsula). Cluster analysis of twelve cranial measurements indicated that there were three separate groups in this area: two different forms of Ochotona hyperborea and intergrades between them. "Analysis of the dialects of these forms confirms that there is a secondary contact zone with limited hybridization between the two primary forms". However, in the Yana Basin, all calls have been found to be intermediate between the same two forms of dialect. "This population could be interpreted as being secondarily stabilized after complete introgression. (B605.3.w3)

Ochotona hyperborea was formerly included as a subspecies of:

• Ochotona alpina - Alpine pika, but has since been accepted as a full species, based on chromosome number differences. (B605.3.w3; B607.w20) Also, there are noticeable differences in vocalisations and morphology throughout the sympatric zone of hyperborea and alpina in the West Sayan mountains, Khangai mountains, and Transbaikalia, "and character displacement in size is also evident in some populations". (B607.w20)

Note: the specific form of Ochotona hyperborea svatoshi was originally included as a subspecies of Ochotona alpina - Alpine pika but has since been reassigned as Ochotona hyperborea svatoshi on the basis that although this form is close to the Alpine pika in its short call characteristics and morphology, other features of its vocal repertoire are different to that of the typical Alpine pika. (B605.3.w3)

Former subspecies of Ochotona hyperborea but now considered distinct species:

• Ochotona collaris - Collared pika. (B605.3.w3)
• Ochotona turuchanensis - Turuchan pika. (B607.w20)
  • Ochotona hyperborea turuchanensis  was previously artificially united with Ochotona hyperborea ferruginea in one study. However, these two forms actually have separate ranges that are far removed from one another and also, Ochotona turuchanensis is considerably larger than Ochotona hyperborea ferruginea. (B605.3.w3)

Conservation Status

Notes

WILD POPULATION - IMPORTANCE:

General pika information

Pikas are important for the following reasons:

• They act as prey for many birds and mammals. (B605.3.w3)
• Haypiles created by pikas may provide winter food for domestic cows and horses and also native species such as ungulates or smaller herbivores. (B605.3.w3)
• Ochotona hyperborea (and also Ochotona alpina - Alpine pika) are the basic food for sables (Martes - (Genus)) and so play an important role in the ecosystem. 

GENERAL LEGISLATION:

• "Currently no species or forms of Ochotona are treated on any national list of endangered or threatened wildlife." (B605.3.w3)

CITES LISTING:

• There are currently no Ochotona species CITES-listed. (W354.April08.w1)

RED-DATA LIST STATUS:

Specific Ochotona hyperborea information

• IUCN - Lower risk/least concern. (W2.Apr08.w50)

THREATS:

Specific Ochotona hyperborea information

• There is no apparent threat to Ochotona hyperborea and it is thought to be common throughout its wide geographic range. (B605.3.w3)

General pika information

• In general, the status of many species of pika is hard to assess because they inhabit such remote areas. (B285.w5g)
• Many species of pika inhabit very restricted ranges and so may be threatened by human environmental disruption. (B147)

PEST STATUS / PEST POPULATIONS:

Specific Ochotona hyperborea information

• Ochotona hyperborea yesoensis has been thought of as a forest pest and so controlled on Hokkaido island. (B605.3.w3)

General pika information

• Due to their remote habitat, most pikas "rarely come into conflict with human economic activity." (B147)

CAPTIVE POPULATIONS:

Specific Ochotona hyperborea information

• Ochotona hyperborea, like Ochotona alpina - Alpine pika, adapts easily to humans and may be made a pet. (B605.3.w3)

TRADE AND USE:

Specific Ochotona hyperborea information 

• The fur of this species was used to produce high quality felt prior to World War II. In Yakutia, the trapping of the Northern pika continued until 1953, and as many as 14000 pikas were caught in some years. Now this trapping has largely ceased. (B605.3.w3)