The Moupin pika (''Ochotona thibetana''), also known as Ribetischer Pika,

Moupin Muping Town is a town and the county seat of Baoxing County in Sichuan province of southwest China. In the late 1800s, under its alternative rendering Moupin, it developed a reputation for biodiversity among western naturalists, so a number of spec ...

-Pika, Pika del Tibet, and Manipuri pika,Molur, S., Srinivasulu, C., Srinivasulu, B., Walker, S., Nameer, P. O., & Ravikumar, L. (2005)
Status of south Asian non-volant small mammals: conservation assessment and management plan (CAMP) workshop report
(PDF). ''Zoo Outreach Organisation/CBSG-South Asia, Coimbatore, India''. pp. 170 is a species of

mammal Mammals () are a group of vertebrate animals constituting the class Mammalia (), characterized by the presence of mammary glands which in females produce milk for feeding (nursing) their young, a neocortex (a region of the brain), fur or ...

in the pika family, Ochotonidae. It has many subspecies, some of which may be distinct species. Its summer

pelage Fur is a thick growth of hair that covers the skin of mammals. It consists of a combination of oily #Guard hair, guard hair on top and thick #Down hair, underfur beneath. The guard hair keeps moisture from reaching the skin; the underfur acts as ...

is dark russet-brown with some light spots on the dorsal side, and ochraceous buff tinged on the belly. In winter it is lighter, with buff to dull brown dorsal pelage. A generalist

herbivore A herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example foliage or marine algae, for the main component of its diet. As a result of their plant diet, herbivorous animals typically have mouthpart ...

, it is found in the mountains of the eastern

Tibetan Plateau The Tibetan Plateau (, also known as the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau or the Qing–Zang Plateau () or as the Himalayan Plateau in India, is a vast elevated plateau located at the intersection of Central, South and East Asia covering most of the Ti ...

in China (

Gansu Gansu (, ; alternately romanized as Kansu) is a province in Northwest China. Its capital and largest city is Lanzhou, in the southeast part of the province. The seventh-largest administrative district by area at , Gansu lies between the Tibet ...

, southern

Qinghai Qinghai (; alternately romanized as Tsinghai, Ch'inghai), also known as Kokonor, is a landlocked province in the northwest of the People's Republic of China. It is the fourth largest province of China by area and has the third smallest po ...

Yunnan Yunnan , () is a landlocked Provinces of China, province in Southwest China, the southwest of the People's Republic of China. The province spans approximately and has a population of 48.3 million (as of 2018). The capital of the province is ...

, and

Sichuan Sichuan (; zh, c=, labels=no, ; zh, p=Sìchuān; alternatively romanized as Szechuan or Szechwan; formerly also referred to as "West China" or "Western China" by Protestant missions) is a province in Southwest China occupying most of the ...

), Bhutan, India (

Sikkim Sikkim (; ) is a state in Northeastern India. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China in the north and northeast, Bhutan in the east, Province No. 1 of Nepal in the west and West Bengal in the south. Sikkim is also close to the Siligur ...

), and northern Myanmar. Both the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Endangered Species and the Red List of China's Vertebrates classify it as a species of

least concern A least-concern species is a species that has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as evaluated as not being a focus of species conservation because the specific species is still plentiful in the wild. T ...

; although one subspecies may be endangered.

Taxonomy

The Moupin pika was first described in 1871 by the French

mammalogist In zoology, mammalogy is the study of mammals – a class of vertebrates with characteristics such as homeothermic metabolism, fur, four-chambered hearts, and complex nervous system In biology, the nervous system is the highly complex part ...

and

ornithologist Ornithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the "methodological study and consequent knowledge of birds with all that relates to them." Several aspects of ornithology differ from related disciplines, due partly to the high visibility and th ...

Alphonse Milne-Edwards Alphonse Milne-Edwards (Paris, 13 October 1835 – Paris, 21 April 1900) was a French mammalogist, ornithologist, and carcinologist. He was English in origin, the son of Henri Milne-Edwards and grandson of Bryan Edwards, a Jamaican planter who se ...

. There are five recognized subspecies according to the ''Mammals Species of the World'': *''O. t. nangquenica'' *''O. t. osgoodi'' *''O. t. sacraria'' *''O. t. sikimaria'' *''O. t. thibetana'' The Gansu pika (''Ochotona cansus'') was previously treated as a subspecies of the Moupin pika, but is now considered a separate species based on its skull characteristics—shorter skull and a narrower

interorbital region The interorbital region of the skull is located between the eyes, anterior to the braincase. The form of the interorbital region may exhibit significant variation between taxonomic groups. In oryzomyine rodents, for example, the width, form, an ...

and

zygomatic arch In anatomy, the zygomatic arch, or cheek bone, is a part of the skull formed by the zygomatic process of the temporal bone (a bone extending forward from the side of the skull, over the opening of the ear) and the temporal process of the zygomati ...

—and because intermediate forms do not occur in the extensive zones of

sympatry In biology, two related species or populations are considered sympatric when they exist in the same geographic area and thus frequently encounter one another. An initially interbreeding population that splits into two or more distinct species sh ...

. The

Forrest's pika The Forrest's pika (''Ochotona forresti'') is a species of mammal in the pika family, Ochotonidae. It is found in Bhutan, China, India, and Myanmar. The summer dorsal pelage and ventral pelage are dark rufous or blackish brown, and the winter d ...

(''Ochotona forresti'') was also a former subspecies, but it was listed as separate species by Feng and Zheng in 1985. In 1951, Ellerman and Morrison-Scott listed the ''O. t. osgoodi'' as a subspecies of the

steppe pika The steppe pika (''Ochotona pusilla'') is a small mammal of the pika family, Ochotonidae. It is found in the steppes of southern Russia and northern Kazakhstan. General description Ochotonidae includes only one genus - ''Ochotona'', formed by ...

(''Ochotona pusilla'') but in 1978, Corbet, and in 1982, Weston, based on

morphometric Morphometrics (from Greek μορϕή ''morphe'', "shape, form", and -μετρία ''metria'', "measurement") or morphometry refers to the quantitative analysis of ''form'', a concept that encompasses size and shape. Morphometric analyses are co ...

analysis, included it in the Moupin pika. ''O. t. sikimaria'' was assigned to the Gansu pika by Feng and Kao in 1974, and by Feng and Zheng in 1985 because Thomas compared the subspecies to ''O. c. sorella'' in his original description. However, based on holotype analysis, ''O. t. sikimaria'' was found to have a longer skull and a wider

and

than the Gansu pika. The subspecies ''O. n. lama'', ''O. n. aliensis'', and ''O. n. lhasaensis ''were formerly assigned to the Moupin pika, but they are now considered to belong to the Nubra pika (''Ochotona nubrica''). ''O. t. sikimaria'' may be a treated as a separate species due to its widely separate geography than that of the other Moupin pika. It can be distinguished from other subgroups based on a different protrusion of the skull and variations in its genetic data. ''O. t. sacraria'' and ''O.t. xunhuaensis'' may also represent separate species, as they appear genetically very distinct from the other Moupin pika. In 1938, Allen synonymized the Qinling pika (''Ochotona syrinx'') with ''O.t. huangensis''. This assignment was followed by Ellerman and Morrison-Scott in 1951, by Gureev in 1964, and by Weston in 1982. In 1938 Allen, in 1951 Ellerman and Morrison-Scott, and in 1982 Weston synonymized ''O.t. sacraria'' with ''O.t. thibetana'', but in 1974, Feng and Kao, and in 1985, Feng and Zheng listed it as a subspecies of the Moupin pika.

Description

A fairly small pika, the Moupin pika measures in length, and weighs . The skull is in length, and is larger than that of the Gansu pika. The

frontal bone The frontal bone is a bone in the human skull. The bone consists of two portions.''Gray's Anatomy'' (1918) These are the vertically oriented squamous part, and the horizontally oriented orbital part, making up the bony part of the forehead, par ...

is flat and low, and has no

alveolus Alveolus (; pl. alveoli, adj. alveolar) is a general anatomical term for a concave cavity or pit. Uses in anatomy and zoology * Pulmonary alveolus, an air sac in the lungs ** Alveolar cell or pneumocyte ** Alveolar duct ** Alveolar macrophage * Mam ...

above it. The

auditory bulla The tympanic part of the temporal bone is a curved plate of bone lying below the squamous part of the temporal bone, in front of the mastoid process, and surrounding the external part of the ear canal. It originates as a separate bone (tympanic ...

e are small, and the posterior processes of the

cheek bone In the human skull, the zygomatic bone (from grc, ζῠγόν, zugón, yoke), also called cheekbone or malar bone, is a paired irregular bone which articulates with the maxilla, the temporal bone, the sphenoid bone and the frontal bone. It is si ...

are almost parallel. The anterior palatine foramen (funnel-shaped opening in the bony plate of the skull, located in the roof of the mouth, immediately behind the

incisor teeth Incisors (from Latin ''incidere'', "to cut") are the front teeth present in most mammals. They are located in the premaxilla above and on the mandible below. Humans have a total of eight (two on each side, top and bottom). Opossums have 18, wher ...

where blood vessels and nerves pass) and the palatal foramen are combined. In summer, the dorsal

is dark russet-brown overall in color with some light spots and the ventral pelage is ochraceous buff-tinged; however, ''O.t. xunhuaensis'' has grayish ventral pelage, and a russet throat collar. It has a buff coloured collar along the middle line of the belly. The winter dorsal pelage is buff to dull brown. It has dark brown ears, measuring in length, and having white, narrow borders along its edges. The sole of the feet are furred. The hindfeet are long.

Distribution and habitat

The species' range includes the mountains of the eastern

, southern

, and

in China; in Bhutan; in

in India; and in northern Myanmar. The nominate subspecies ''O.t. thibetana'' occurs in southern Qinghai, western Sichuan, southeastern Tibet, and northwestern Yunnan; ''O.t. nangquenica'' occurs in

Tibet Tibet (; ''Böd''; ) is a region in East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are some other ethnic groups such as Monpa people, ...

; ''O.t. sacraria'' occurs in western

; ''O.t. osgoodi'' occurs in northeastern Myanmar; ''O.t. sikimaria'' occurs in Sikkim; and ''O.t. xunhuaensis'' occurs in eastern Qinghai. It is found in rocky regions under canopies of ''

Rhododendron ''Rhododendron'' (; from Ancient Greek ''rhódon'' "rose" and ''déndron'' "tree") is a very large genus of about 1,024 species of woody plants in the heath family (Ericaceae). They can be either evergreen or deciduous. Most species are nati ...

'' and

bamboo Bamboos are a diverse group of evergreen perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family. The origin of the word "bamboo" is uncertain, bu ...

forests at lower elevations, and in

subalpine Montane ecosystems are found on the slopes of mountains. The alpine climate in these regions strongly affects the ecosystem because temperatures fall as elevation increases, causing the ecosystem to stratify. This stratification is a crucial f ...

forests in the higher parts of its distribution. While recorded at altitudes as low as above sea level, it favors elevations of . It has an area of occupancy of , with an extant of occurrence of .

Behavior and ecology

The Moupin pika is a diurnal species, but it can be active at night. It is

colonial Colonial or The Colonial may refer to: * Colonial, of, relating to, or characteristic of a colony or colony (biology) Architecture * American colonial architecture * French Colonial * Spanish Colonial architecture Automobiles * Colonial (1920 au ...

terrestrial Terrestrial refers to things related to land or the planet Earth. Terrestrial may also refer to: * Terrestrial animal, an animal that lives on land opposed to living in water, or sometimes an animal that lives on or near the ground, as opposed to ...

pika that is known to dig burrows. It is a generalist

, and creates haypiles for food storage. The breeding season starts in at least April and continues till July. The female produces litters of one to five young. According to tests, the Moupin pika has been found to contain

astrovirus Astroviruses are a type of virus that was first discovered in 1975 using electron microscopes following an outbreak of diarrhea in humans. In addition to humans, astroviruses have now been isolated from numerous mammalian animal species (and a ...

es.

Status and conservation

Since 1996, the Moupin pika has been rated as a species of

on the

IUCN Red List of Endangered Species The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data Book, founded in 1964, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biolog ...

. This is because it is a widespread species and its population is not known to be suffering a serious decline. Although its current population trend is unclear, it is common throughout its distribution. It experiences a threat from

habitat destruction Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species. The organisms that previously inhabited the site are displaced or dead, thereby ...

due to small-scale deforestration of bamboo and Rhododendron woodlands, and grazing by livestock. Due to destruction of habitat, the Sikkim pika may be endangered, but the other forms do not appear to be threatened according to IUCN. The Red List of China's Vertebrates also lists the Moupin pika as a species of least concern. It occurs in the protected areas of the Changshanerhai,

Jiuzhaigou Jiuzhaigou (; ) is a nature reserve and national park located in the north of Sichuan Province in southwestern China. A long valley running north to south, Jiuzhaigou was inscribed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1992 and a World Biospher ...

, Nujiang, Wanglang, Wawushan, Wolong, and Zhumulangmafeng Nature Reserves. However,

deforestation Deforestation or forest clearance is the removal of a forest or stand of trees from land that is then converted to non-forest use. Deforestation can involve conversion of forest land to farms, ranches, or urban use. The most concentrated d ...

may pose a threat throughout its range in southern China. It occurs extremely rarely in northeastern India. It has also been stated that almost all of its habitat in India has been destroyed, locally making it "critically endangered." It is targeted as a pest in southern

References

Notes

Bibliography

* * *

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:pika, Moupin Moupin pika Fauna of Tibet Moupin pika Taxonomy articles created by Polbot