Daurian Pika

About the Daurian Pika

The Daurian pika (Ochotona dauurica) is a small relative of rabbits and hares in the order Lagomorpha. It is well known for its "barking" alarm call, and for its peculiar habit of making hay to help survive the winter. There are 4 recognized subspecies, Ochotona dauurica annectens, O.d. bedfordi, O.d. dauurica, and O.d. mursavi. Daurian pikas, like other lagomorphs, are characterized by a secondary set of incisor teeth. They are sexually monomorphic, with thick reddish coats. Pikas have no external tail, and their ears are large and rounded. The auditory bullae, a feature of the skull of daurian pikas are small in comparison to many other pikas. This is thought to be related to their fairly low altitude habitat preference. They are considered keystone species within their habitat.

Daurian pikas are found throughout Mongolia, southern Russia, Manchuria and in several provinces of China. They live in mountainous regions, and are found at altitudes ranging from 400-4,000 meters above sea level. They are found in desert grasslands, where they are able to burrow in winter and find fresh grass to eat and herbaceous vegetation to store for winter. They sometimes share... Wikipedia →