CONTENTS

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

Ochotona thibetana - Moupin pika (Click photographs/illustrations for full picture & further details)

INDEX - INFORMATION AVAILABLE

Alternative Names (Synonyms)

Specific Ochotona thibetana information

• Ochotona nangqenica
• Ochotona osgoodi
• Ochotona sacraria
• Ochotona sikimaria. 

(B605.3.w3; B607.w20)

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)

• In the summer, this pika is basically dark russet-brown with some light speckling, while the throat is nearly russet and the underside is tinged ochraceous buff. In winter, it is buffy to dull brown. (B605.3.w3)

Newborn:

General pika information

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

Similar Species

Similar pika species include:

• Ochotona cansus - Gansu pika
• Ochotona forresti - Forrest's pika
• Ochotona huangensis - Tsing-Ling pika
• Ochotona nubrica - Nubra pika
• Ochotona pusilla - Steppe pika

(B605.3.w3, B607.w20)

• This species can be distinguished from Ochotona forresti - Forrest's pika by the following marking:
  • dark grey area behind each ear "and these two areas almost meet across the nape in the Forrest's pika, unlike the pale buffy area which does not meet in the Moupin pika".
• This species can be distinguished from Ochotona nubrica - Nubra pika by its brownish grey coat instead of a dull brown.
• This species also lacks the light patch on the external surface of the ears that is found in the Nubra pika; and it has also been recorded as being much darker than the specific form of Ochotona nubrica lhasaensis.

(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

• The external measurements of the this species average smaller than Ochotona nubrica - Nubra pika. (B605.3.w3)

There is very little reported data on this specific species so the data below are taken from general pika information.

General pika information

LENGTH

General pika information
Adult: 

• 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

General pika information
Adult: 

• 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

Note: This species is a burrowing pika rather than a rock dwelling pika. (B605.3.w3)

GENERAL HEAD STRUCTURE:
Adult:

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)

• The characteristics of this species compared to Ochotona cansus - Gansu pika are:
  • a wider interorbital region and zygomatic arch;
  • a longer skull
• This species can be distinguished from Ochotona forresti - Forrest's pika by the following features:
  • the zygomatic arch is narrower;
  • it does not have the following constriction which is found in 70% of Ochotona forresti: violin shaped "confluence of the incisive and palatal foramina due to the abrupt constriction of the sides";
  • a narrower "rectangular shaped posterior end of the nasals".
• The skull is smaller than that of Ochotona nubrica - Nubra pika.

(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 shorter in the burrowing pikas, such as Ochotona thibetana, than in rock dwelling pikas. (B605.3.w3)

Newborn: --

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 burrowing pikas, such as this species, the claws are more straight and powerful than those of the rock dwelling pikas. (B605.3.w3)

Specific Ochotona thibetana information

• The fore claws are notably shorter in this species than that of the similar Ochotona forresti - Forrest's pika. (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)

• Summer coat: "an overall dark russet-brown with some light speckling. The entire undersurface is tinged with ochraceous buff....and the throat collar is nearly russet."
• Winter coat: "The general effect of the dorsal surface of the winter coat is buffy to dull brown ". 

(B605.3.w3)

Adult Colour variations:--

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: --

MUSCULO-SKELETAL SYSTEM: --

SPECIAL SENSES AND VOCALISATIONS:

General pika information

• Pikas are known to be more vocal than other lagomorphs (Lagomorpha). (B285.w5a)

• Burrowing pikas, such as this species, have a vast range of calls:

  • Rapidly repeated soft short predator alarm call;

  • Long calls used by adult males;

  • Whines and trills;

  • Muffle and transition calls used by young pikas, which are thought to promote cohesion among siblings.

(B285.w5g)

Feeding Behaviour

Notes

General pika information

• 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)

Parental Behaviour

Notes

• In the burrowing pikas, the young may form a line behind an adult, usually their father, and follow. (B285.w5g)

Social Behaviour / Territoriality / Predation / Learning

Notes

Social behaviour:

• Burrowing pikas or steppe dwelling pikas general information

  • These pikas are very friendly, sociable mammals that live within family groups where they may play-box, sit in contact, nose rub and spend time socially grooming. (B285.w5g)

  • Communal dens house family groups which includes siblings of different ages. (B285.w5g)

  • The young may follow behind an adult, usually their father, in a line. (B285.w5g)

  • However, there may be aggression between members of different family groups, in particular, long chases of adult males occur. (B285.w5g)

Population density:

• Burrowing pikas or steppe dwelling pikas general information

  • Population densities of burrowing steppe dwellers are often much higher than that of the rock dwellers but they are also prone to fluctuate more widely. (B147)

  • The population density may be greater than 750 per acre towards the end of the breeding season but this may fluctuate greatly both annually and seasonally. (B285.w5g, B605.3.w3)

  • The maximum density of some steppe pikas is reported to exceed 300 per hectare. (B147)

Sexual Behaviour

Notes

General pika information

• In general, it appears that pikas are monogamous. (B285.w5g, B605.3.w3)
• Burrowing pikas: The mating system may be flexible: polygynous, polygynous, complex (several male and female), and polyandrous adult associations have been observed side by side. This last relationship is rare in mammals, but in the pika “two males from the same burrow may be seen alternately mating with the resident female and then sitting side by side or grooming one another, even while the female is in estrus - apparently an adaptation to maximize reproductive rates in face of harsh environmental conditions.” (B285.w5g)

Activity Patterns, Self-grooming and Navigation

Notes

Note: There is little reported data on this topic specific to this species so the details below are from general pika information. This species is a burrowing pika rather than a rock dweller.

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. (B285.w5g, B605.3.w3)

Specific Ochotona thibetana information

• This species inhabits rhododendron and mesic bamboo forests at moderate elevations and subalpine forests at high elevations. This pika can also be found in rocky areas under forest canopies at 2400-4100m elevation.
• Elevation: 1800m - 4100m (B605.3.w3)

Nests / Burrows / Shelters

Notes

• The species is a burrowing pika. (B605.3.w3)

General pika information

• It is common for burrows to be shared with birds or small mammals. (B605.3.w3)

Distribution and Movement (Migration etc.)

Notes

Specific Ochotona thibetana information

China:

• Southeastern Qinghai 

• Southern Gansu 

• Southern Shaanxi 

• Shanxi 

• Western Sichuan 

• Western Hubei 

• Western Yunnan 

• Southern Xizang 

Northern Burma 

Bhutan 

India: Sikkim 

Note: All the above from: B285.w5i; B605.3.w3; B607.w20 (except for B607.w20 which does not mention Southeastern Qinghai or Southern Gansu; and B605.3.w3 which does not mention Shanxi).

Sympatric with:

• Ochotona cansus - Gansu pika: wide area of northern Sichuan and southern Qinghai. (B605.3.w3)

  • Ochotona cansus morosa: overlaps with the range of Ochotona thibetana huangenesis in the Tsing Ling Shan, Shaanxi Province, China. (B605.3.w3; B607.w20)

  • Ochotona cansus stevensi: this subspecies is also known to occur in the same places of that of the Moupin pika (Minya Konka, Sichuan, China). (B605.3.w3)

• Ochotona forresti - Forrest's pika: Yunnan, China; Burma; and Sikkim, India. (B607.w20)

  • Sympatric with Ochotona thibetana sacraria. (B605.3.w3)

• Ochotona gaoligongensis - Gaoligong pika. (B605.3.w3)

• Ochotona huangensis - Tsing-Ling pika is widely sympatric with the Moupin pika. (B607.w20)

• Ochotona nubrica - Nubra pika (B607.w20). The nearest populations of the Moupin pika to the Nubra pika are:

  • Ochotona thibetana sikimaria "on the more temperate moist southern slope of the Himalayas".

  • Ochotona thibetana nangqenica "from the forested headwaters of the great rivers (Mekong, etc.) that originate on the southeast corner of the Tibetan plateau". (B605.3.w3)

Species variation

Notes

Specific Ochotona thibetana information

Currently recognised subspecies include:

• Ochotona thibetana nangqenica 
• Ochotona thibetana osgoodi 
• Ochotona thibetana sacraria 
• Ochotona thibetaa sikimaria 
• Ochotona thibetana thibetana; Ochotona thibetana hodgsoni; Ochotona thibetana zappeyi 

(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 thibetana osgoodi was previously listed as a subspecies of Ochotona pusilla - Steppe pika but was reassigned on the basis of morphometric analysis which showed its close phenetic similarity to Ochotona thibetana. (B605.3.w3, B607.w20)
• The Ochotona thibetana sikimaria subspecies was previously assigned to Ochotona cansus - Gansu pika; "it may deserve full species status". (B607.w20) 
  It was subsequently assigned to Ochotona thibetana thibetana on the basis of holotype examinations which demonstrated characteristics of this species:
  • a wider interorbital region and zygomatic arch;
  • a longer skull.
    (B605.3.w3)

Former subspecies of Ochotona thibetana but subsequently reassigned:

• Ochotona cansus - Gansu pika has since been accepted as a full species on the basis of studies that showed that "cansus and thibetana are broadly sympatric, with distinct ecological niches, and morphological characters that do not intergrade". (B607.w20)
  • "thibetana is separated on the basis of its skull characteristics and the observation that intermediate forms are not found in the extensive zone of sympatry between the two species". (B605.3.w3)
  • Ochotona cansus has a shorter skull than the Moupin pika and a narrower zygomatic arch and interorbital width. (B605.3.w3)
  • The morosa race was originally thought to be a synonym of Ochotona thibetana huangenesis but has been reassigned as a subspecies of Ochotona cansus - Gansu pika on the basis of phylogenetic analyses by molecular sequencing which also shows that the two species are independent. (B607.w20)
    • morosa also displays the smaller size, pelage colour, and narrower zygomatic and interorbital width of the Ochotona cansus. (B605.3.w3)
• Ochotona forresti - Forrest's pika is now considered a distinct species based on a study of the holotype. (B605.3.w3, B607.w20)
• Ochotona huangensis - Tsing-Ling pika is now considered a distinct species based on differing morphology and also subsequent molecular studies. (B607.w20)
• Ochotona nubrica - Nubra pika is now considered a distinct species. It was previously assigned to the Moupin pika as Ochotona thibetana lama. (B605.3.w3, B607.w20) 
  • The aliensis race is now considered a subspecies of Ochotona nubrica - Nubra pika. (B605.3.w3, B607.w20)
  • The forms Ochotona lama and Ochotona thibetana aliensis were combined as Ochotona thibetana lama in one study. (B605.3.w3, B607.w20)
  • This species' closest relations were originally thought to be with the Moupin pika but one study showed that they are in fact closer to Ochotona curzoniae - Plateau pika. (B607.w20)

Conservation Status

Notes

WILD POPULATION - IMPORTANCE:

General pika information

In general, pikas are important for the following reasons:

• They act as prey for many birds and mammals. (B605.3.w3)
• By recycling soil, burrowing pikas have a positive contribution to ecosystem-level dynamics. (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)

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 thibetana information

• IUCN - Lower risk/least concern. (W2.Apr08.w64)
  • Ochotona thibetana sikimaria - Critically Endangered. (W2.Apr08.w64)

THREATS:

Specific Ochotona thibetana information

• Ochotona thibetana - there has been significant deterioration of its habitat in Sikkim (India): "At the type locality (Lachen) human settlement, terraced cultivation, firewood collection and road construction etc. has resulted in an almost complete eradication of the thickets of rhododendron which were the preferred habitat of sikimaria in this region." (B605.3.w3)
• The other forms of this species are fairly common throughout the majority of its range and are not thought to be threatened at the moment. However, the IUCN "do not have accurate measurements on the consequences of deforestation throughout most of the range of the Moupin pika in southern China". (B605.3.w3)
• 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:

General pika information

• Some burrowing pikas have high population densities which may lead to rangeland degradation. (B285.w5g)
• However, it has been suggested that erosion in some places is more likely to be due to vegetation overgrazing by livestock rather than burrowing pikas. (B605.3.w3)
• Due to their remote habitat, most pikas "rarely come into conflict with human economic activity." (B147)

CAPTIVE POPULATIONS: --

TRADE AND USE: --