A pika ( or ; archaically spelled pica) is a small, mountain-dwelling

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 ...

found in Asia and North America. With short limbs, very round body, an even coat of fur, and no external tail, they resemble their close relative, the

rabbit Rabbits, also known as bunnies or bunny rabbits, are small mammals in the family Leporidae (which also contains the hares) of the order Lagomorpha (which also contains the pikas). ''Oryctolagus cuniculus'' includes the European rabbit sp ...

, but with short, rounded ears. The large-eared pika of the

Himalayas The Himalayas, or Himalaya (; ; ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the planet's highest peaks, including the very highest, Mount Everest. Over 10 ...

and nearby mountains is found at heights of more than , among the highest of any mammal. Pikas prefer rocky slopes and graze on a range of plants, mostly grasses, flowers and young stems. In the autumn they pull hay, soft twigs and other stores of food into their burrows to eat during the long, cold winter. The pika is also known as the whistling hare because of its high-pitched

alarm call In animal communication, an alarm signal is an antipredator adaptation in the form of signals emitted by social animals in response to danger. Many primates and birds have elaborate alarm calls for warning conspecifics of approaching predato ...

when diving into its burrow. The name ‘pika’ appears to be derived from the Tungus ''piika'', and the scientific name ''Ochotona'' is from the Mongolian word ''ogutun-a, оготно'', which means pika. It is used for any member of the Ochotonidae, a

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

within the

order Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of ...

of lagomorphs which also includes the

Leporidae Leporidae is the family of rabbits and hares, containing over 60 species of extant mammals in all. The Latin word ''Leporidae'' means "those that resemble ''lepus''" (hare). Together with the pikas, the Leporidae constitute the mammalian order ...

(rabbits and

hare Hares and jackrabbits are mammals belonging to the genus ''Lepus''. They are herbivores, and live solitarily or in pairs. They nest in slight depressions called forms, and their young are able to fend for themselves shortly after birth. The g ...

s). Only one

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

, ''Ochotona'', is extant within the family, covering 37 species, though many fossil genera are known. Another species, the Sardinian pika, belonging to the separate genus '' Prolagus'', has become extinct within the last 2000 years owing to human activity. The two species found in North America are the American pika, found primarily in the mountains of the western United States and far southwestern Canada, and the collared pika of northern

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, for ...

, the

Yukon Yukon (; ; formerly called Yukon Territory and also referred to as the Yukon) is the smallest and westernmost of Canada's three territories. It also is the second-least populated province or territory in Canada, with a population of 43,964 as ...

, western

Northwest Territories The Northwest Territories (abbreviated ''NT'' or ''NWT''; french: Territoires du Nord-Ouest, formerly ''North-Western Territory'' and ''North-West Territories'' and namely shortened as ''Northwest Territory'') is a federal territory of Canada. ...

and

Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U ...

Habitat

Pikas are native to cold climates in

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an are ...

and

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and th ...

. Most species live on rocky mountainsides, where numerous crevices are available for their shelter, although some pikas also construct crude burrows. A few burrowing species are native to open

steppe In physical geography, a steppe () is an ecoregion characterized by grassland plains without trees apart from those near rivers and lakes. Steppe biomes may include: * the montane grasslands and shrublands biome * the temperate gras ...

land. In the mountains of

Eurasia Eurasia (, ) is the largest continental area on Earth, comprising all of Europe and Asia. Primarily in the Northern and Eastern Hemispheres, it spans from the British Isles and the Iberian Peninsula in the west to the Japanese archipelag ...

pikas often share their burrows with snowfinches, which build their nests there. Pikas require cold temperatures to live, and can die if exposed to temperatures above . Changing temperatures have forced some pika populations to restrict their ranges to even higher elevations.

Characteristics

Pikas are small mammals, with short limbs and rounded ears. They are about in body length and weigh between , depending on species. Like rabbits, after eating they initially produce soft green

feces Feces ( or faeces), known colloquially and in slang as poo and poop, are the solid or semi-solid remains of food that was not digested in the small intestine, and has been broken down by bacteria in the large intestine. Feces contain a rela ...

, which they eat again to take in further nutrition before producing the final solid fecal pellets. Collared pikas have been known to store dead birds in their burrows for food during winter and eat the feces of other animals. These animals are

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 mouthpar ...

s and feed on a wide variety of plant matter, including

forb A forb or phorb is an herbaceous flowering plant that is not a graminoid (grass, sedge, or rush). The term is used in biology and in vegetation ecology, especially in relation to grasslands and understory. Typically these are dicots without woo ...

grasses Poaceae () or Gramineae () is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of monocotyledonous flowering plants commonly known as grasses. It includes the cereal grasses, bamboos and the grasses of natural grassland and species cultivated in lawns ...

sedge The Cyperaceae are a family of graminoid (grass-like), monocotyledonous flowering plants known as sedges. The family is large, with some 5,500 known species described in about 90 genera, the largest being the "true sedges" genus '' Carex'' ...

s, shrub twigs, moss and lichens. As with other lagomorphs, pikas have gnawing

incisor 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 ...

s and no

canine Canine may refer to: Zoology and anatomy * a dog-like Canid animal in the subfamily Caninae ** ''Canis'', a genus including dogs, wolves, coyotes, and jackals ** Dog, the domestic dog * Canine tooth, in mammalian oral anatomy People with the surn ...

s, although they have fewer

molars The molars or molar teeth are large, flat teeth at the back of the mouth. They are more developed in mammals. They are used primarily to grind food during chewing. The name ''molar'' derives from Latin, ''molaris dens'', meaning "millstone to ...

than rabbits; they have a

dental formula Dentition pertains to the development of teeth and their arrangement in the mouth. In particular, it is the characteristic arrangement, kind, and number of teeth in a given species at a given age. That is, the number, type, and morpho-physiolog ...

of: . Another similarity that pikas share with other lagomorphs is that the bottom of their paws are covered with fur and therefore lack paw pads. Rock-dwelling pikas have small litters of fewer than five young, whilst the burrowing species tend to give birth to more young and to breed more frequently, possibly owing to a greater availability of resources in their native habitats. The young are born after a

gestation Gestation is the period of development during the carrying of an embryo, and later fetus, inside viviparous animals (the embryo develops within the parent). It is typical for mammals, but also occurs for some non-mammals. Mammals during pr ...

period of between 25 and 30 days.

Activity

Pikas are active during daylight ( diurnal) or twilight hours (

crepuscular In zoology, a crepuscular animal is one that is active primarily during the twilight period, being matutinal, vespertine, or both. This is distinguished from diurnal and nocturnal behavior, where an animal is active during the hours of dayli ...

), with higher-elevation species generally being more active during the daytime. They show their peak activity just before the winter season. Pikas do not hibernate so they generally spend time during the summer collecting and storing food for the winter. Each rock-dwelling pika stores its own ‘haypile’ of dried vegetation, whilst burrowing species often share food stores with their burrow mates. Haying behavior is more prominent at higher elevations. Many of the vocalizations and social behaviors that pikas exhibit are related to haypile defense. The impact of human activity on the

tundra In physical geography, tundra () is a type of biome where tree growth is hindered by frigid temperatures and short growing seasons. The term ''tundra'' comes through Russian (') from the Kildin Sámi word (') meaning "uplands", "treeless mou ...

ecosystems where pikas live has been recorded dating back to the 1970s. Rather than hibernate during winter, pikas forage for grasses and other forms of plant matter and stash these findings in protected dens in a process called 'haying' which they sustain themselves with during winter seasons. Sometimes pikas think that humans are predators, so they sometimes respond to humans as they do to other species that may actually be preying on the pikas. Such interactions with humans have been linked to pikas having reduced amounts of foraging time, consequentially limiting the amount of food they can stockpile for winter months. Pikas are unable to withstand surrounding temperatures above so they must spend their time in shaded regions and out of direct sunlight when temperatures are high. A link has also been found between temperature increases and lost foraging time, where for every increase of 1°C to the ambient temperature in alpine landscapes home to pikas those pikas lose 3% of their foraging time. Eurasian pikas commonly live in family groups and share duties of gathering food and keeping watch. Some species are territorial. North American pikas ('' O. princeps'' and ''

O. collaris The collared pika (''Ochotona collaris'') is a species of mammal in the pika family, Ochotonidae, and part of the order Lagomorpha, which comprises rabbits, hares, and pikas. It is a small (about 160 g) alpine lagomorph that lives in bould ...

'') are asocial, leading solitary lives outside the breeding season.

Dialects

Pikas have distinct calls, which vary in duration. The call can be short and quick, a little longer and more drawn out or long songs. The short calls are an example of geographic variation. The pikas determine the appropriate time to make short calls by listening for cues for sound localization. The calls are used for individual recognition, predator warning signals, territory defense, or as a way to attract the opposite sex. There are also different calls depending on the season. In the spring the songs become more frequent during the breeding season. In late summer the vocalizations become short calls. Through various studies, the acoustic characteristics of the vocalizations can be a useful taxonomic tool.

Lifespan

The average lifespan of pikas in the wild is roughly seven years. A pika's age may be determined by the number of adhesion lines on the periosteal bone on the lower jaw. The lifespan does not differ between the sexes.

Species

The 34 species currently recognized are: * Order Lagomorpha ** Family Ochotonidae: pikas *** Genus ''Ochotona'' **** Subgenus ''Conothoa'': mountain pikas ***** Chinese red pika, ''O. erythrotis'' ***** Forrest's pika, ''O. forresti'' ******

Gaoligong pika The Gaoligong pika (''Ochotona gaoligongensis'') is a species of mammal in the family Ochotonidae. It is endemic to China. Many of the general physical characteristics of the pika species, are shared by Gaoligong pikas. However, the Gaoligong pi ...

(''O. gaoligongensis'') and black pika (''O. nigritia'') are now thought to be conspecific with ''O. forresti'' ***** Glover's pika, ''O. gloveri'' ****** Muli pika (''O. muliensis'') is now thought to be conspecific with ''O. gloveri'' ***** Ili pika, ''O. iliensis'' ***** Koslov's pika, ''O. koslowi'' *****

Ladak pika The Ladak pika (''Ochotona ladacensis''), also known as the Ladakh pika, is a species of mammal in the family Ochotonidae found in China, India, and Pakistan. Prior to identification as a separate species, specimens were thought to be of the ...

, ''O. ladacensis'' ***** Large-eared pika, ''O. macrotis'' ***** Royle's pika, ''O. roylei'' ******

Himalayan pika The Himalayan pika (''Ochotona himalayana'') is a species of small mammal in the pika family (''Ochotonidae''). It is found at high altitudes in remote areas of Ladakh, Uttarakhand and possibly also in Nepal &Tibet. The IUCN has listed this speci ...

(''O. himalayana'') is now thought to be conspecific with ''O. roylei'' ***** Turkestan red pika, ''O. rutila'' ****Subgenus ''Alienauroa'' ***** Yellow pika, ''O. huanglongensis'' *****

Sacred pika Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects (a ...

, ''O. sacraria'' ***** Flat-headed pika, ''O. flatcalvariam'' ****Subgenus ''Ochotona'': shrub-steppe pikas ***** Gansu pika or gray pika, ''O. cansus'' *****

Plateau pika The plateau pika (''Ochotona curzoniae''), also known as the black-lipped pika, is a species of mammal in the pika family, Ochotonidae. It is a small diurnal and non-hibernating mammal weighing about 140 g when fully grown. The animals are ...

or black-lipped pika, ''O. curzoniae'' ***** Daurian pika, ''O. dauurica'' ***** Nubra pika, ''O. nubrica'' ***** Steppe pika, ''O. pusilla'' ***** Qionglai pika, ''O. qionglaiensis'' *****

Afghan pika The Afghan pika (''Ochotona rufescens'') is a species of small mammal in the pika family, Ochotonidae. It is found in Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan and Turkmenistan and the IUCN lists it as being of "least concern". Taxonomy The Afghan pika was f ...

, ''O. rufescens'' ***** Sijin pika, ''O. sikimaria'' ***** Tsing-ling pika, ''O. syrinx'' *****

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

, ''O. thibetana'' *****

Thomas's pika Thomas's pika (''Ochotona thomasi''), also known as the Thomas-pika, is a species of small mammal in the pika family, Ochotonidae. The fur on its upper body is reddish brown in summer, and mouse grey in winter. It is a generalist herbivore threa ...

, ''O. thomasi'' ****Subgenus ''Pika'': northern pikas *****

Alpine pika The alpine pika (''Ochotona alpina'') is a species of small mammal in the pika family, Ochotonidae. The summer pelage of different subspecies varies drastically but, in general, it is dark or cinnamon brown, turning to grey with a yellowish tin ...

or Altai pika, ''O. alpina'' *****

Helan Shan pika The Helan Shan pika or silver pika (''Ochotona argentata'') is a species of mammal in the pika family, Ochotonidae. It is endemic to China where it is found in a small region of the Helan Mountains. It is listed as "Endangered" in the IUCN Red L ...

or silver pika, ''O. argentata'' ***** Collared pika, ''O. collaris'' ***** Korean pika, ''O. coreana'' ***** Hoffmann's pika, ''O. hoffmanni'' ***** Northern pika or Siberian pika, ''O. hyperborea'' ***** Manchurian pika, ''O. mantchurica'' ***** Kazakh pika, ''O. opaca'' *****

Pallas's pika Pallas's pika (''Ochotona pallasi''), also known as the Mongolian pika, is a species of small mammals in the pika family, Ochotonidae. It is found mainly in the mountains of western Mongolia. Description Pallas's pika can range from anywhere b ...

, ''O. pallasii'' ***** American pika, ''O. princeps'' *****

Turuchan pika The Turuchan pika (''Ochotona turuchanensis'') is a species of pika found in isolated regions in the Central Siberian Plateau. It is a small (16–19 cm) rock dwelling species that is active during the day due to the low temperature at night. ...

, ''O. turuchanensis''

Extinct species

Many fossil forms of ''Ochotona'' are described in the literature, from the

Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and means "less recen ...

epoch to the early

Holocene The Holocene ( ) is the current geological epoch. It began approximately 11,650 cal years Before Present (), after the Last Glacial Period, which concluded with the Holocene glacial retreat. The Holocene and the preceding Pleistocene togeth ...

(

extinct Extinction is the termination of a kind of organism or of a group of kinds (taxon), usually a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and ...

species) and present (16.4-0 Ma). They lived in Europe, Asia, and North America.Some species listed below are common for Eurasia and North America (''O. gromovi'', ''O. tologoica'', ''O. zazhigini'', and probably ''O. whartoni''). * Eurasia ** large forms *** †''

Ochotona chowmincheni A pika ( or ; archaically spelled pica) is a small, mountain-dwelling mammal found in Asia and North America. With short limbs, very round body, an even coat of fur, and no external tail, they resemble their close relative, the rabbit, but ...

'' (

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...

Baode Baode () is a county in the northwest of Shanxi province, China, bordering Shaanxi province to the west. It is under the administration of Xinzhou city, and is its westernmost county-level division. Baode is known for Jujube Jujube (), s ...

area, late Miocene) *** †'' Ochotona gromovi'' (

Pliocene The Pliocene ( ; also Pleiocene) is the epoch in the geologic time scale that extends from 5.333 million to 2.58 *** †'' Ochotona gudrunae'' (China:

Shanxi Shanxi (; ; formerly romanised as Shansi) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China and is part of the North China region. The capital and largest city of the province is Taiyuan, while its next most populated prefecture-leve ...

, early

Pleistocene The Pleistocene ( , often referred to as the ''Ice age'') is the geological Epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 2,580,000 to 11,700 years ago, spanning the Earth's most recent period of repeated glaciations. Before a change was fina ...

) *** †'' Ochotona guizhongensis'' (

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, ...

, late Miocene) *** †'' Ochotona lagreli'' (China:

Inner Mongolia Inner Mongolia, officially the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. Its border includes most of the length of China's border with the country of Mongolia. Inner Mongolia also accounts for a ...

, late Miocene to late Pliocene) *** †'' Ochotona magna'' (China, early Pleistocene) *** †'' Ochotona tologoica'' (

Transbaikal Transbaikal, Trans-Baikal, Transbaikalia ( rus, Забайка́лье, r=Zabaykalye, p=zəbɐjˈkalʲjɪ), or Dauria (, ''Dauriya'') is a mountainous region to the east of or "beyond" (trans-) Lake Baikal in Far Eastern Russia. The steppe and ...

ia, Pliocene, see also North America) *** †'' Ochotona transcaucasica'' (

Transcaucasia The South Caucasus, also known as Transcaucasia or the Transcaucasus, is a geographical region on the border of Eastern Europe and Western Asia, straddling the southern Caucasus Mountains. The South Caucasus roughly corresponds to modern Arme ...

: eastern

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

and

Azerbaijan Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of th ...

, Transbaikal and probably southern Europe, early to late Pleistocene) *** †'' Ochotona ursui'' (

Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...

, Pliocene) *** †'' Ochotona zasuchini'' (Transbaikalia, Pleistocene) *** †'' Ochotona zazhigini'' (Asia, Pliocene, see also North America) *** †'' Ochotona zhangi'' (China, Pleistocene) **medium-sized forms *** †'' Ochotona agadjianiani'' (Asia, Pliocene) *** †''

Ochotona antiqua A pika ( or ; archaically spelled pica) is a small, mountain-dwelling mammal found in Asia and North America. With short limbs, very round body, an even coat of fur, and no external tail, they resemble their close relative, the rabbit, but wi ...

'' (

Moldavia Moldavia ( ro, Moldova, or , literally "The Country of Moldavia"; in Romanian Cyrillic: or ; chu, Землѧ Молдавскаѧ; el, Ἡγεμονία τῆς Μολδαβίας) is a historical region and former principality in Centr ...

Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inva ...

, and the

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...

n Plain,

Caucasus The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, mainly comprising Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and parts of Southern Russia. The Caucasus Mountains, including the Greater Caucasus range, have historica ...

, and probably

Rhodes Rhodes (; el, Ρόδος , translit=Ródos ) is the largest and the historical capital of the Dodecanese islands of Greece. Administratively, the island forms a separate municipality within the Rhodes regional unit, which is part of the S ...

, late Miocene to Pliocene) *** †'' Ochotona azerica'' (Transcaucasia: Azerbaijan, middle Pliocene) *** †'' Ochotona lingtaica'' (Asia, Pliocene) *** †'' Ochotona dodogolica'' (Asia: western Transbaikalia, Pleistocene) *** †'' Ochotona nihewanica'' (China:

Hebei Hebei or , (; alternately Hopeh) is a northern province of China. Hebei is China's sixth most populous province, with over 75 million people. Shijiazhuang is the capital city. The province is 96% Han Chinese, 3% Manchu, 0.8% Hui, and ...

, early Pleistocene) *** †''

Ochotona plicodenta A pika ( or ; archaically spelled pica) is a small, mountain-dwelling mammal found in Asia and North America. With short limbs, very round body, an even coat of fur, and no external tail, they resemble their close relative, the rabbit, but wi ...

'' (Asia, Pliocene) *** †'' Ochotona polonica'' (Europe:

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

, Pliocene) ** small-sized forms *** †'' Ochotona bazarovi'' (Asia, upper Pliocene) *** †'' Ochotona dehmi'' (Germany: Schernfeld, Pleistocene) *** †'' Ochotona filippovi'' (

Siberia Siberia ( ; rus, Сибирь, r=Sibir', p=sʲɪˈbʲirʲ, a=Ru-Сибирь.ogg) is an extensive geographical region, constituting all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has been a part ...

, Pleistocene) *** †'' Ochotona gracilis'' (Asia, Pliocene) *** †'' Ochotona horaceki'' (

Slovakia Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the ...

Honce Honce ( hu, Kisgencs) is a village and municipality in the Rožňava District in the Košice Region of eastern Slovakia. Genealogical resources The records for genealogical research are available at the state archive "Statny Archiv in Kosice, S ...

, Pleistocene) *** †'' Ochotona minor'' (China, late Miocene) *** †'' Ochotona sibirica'' (Asia, Pliocene) *** †'' Ochotona valerotae'' (

: Valerots site, Pleistocene) *** †'' Ochotona youngi'' (Asia, Pliocene)
and others. ** other examples *** †'' Ochotona agadzhaniani'' (Transcaucasia:

Armenia Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ''O ...

, Pliocene) *** †'' Ochotona alaica'' (Asia:

Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan,, pronounced or the Kyrgyz Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Asia. Kyrgyzstan is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tajikistan to the south, and the People's Republic of China to the ea ...

, Pleistocene) *** † ''Ochotona'' (''Proochotona'') ''eximia'' (

Moldova Moldova ( , ; ), officially the Republic of Moldova ( ro, Republica Moldova), is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. The unrecognised state of Transnistri ...

, Ukraine, Russia,

Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country located mainly in Central Asia and partly in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the north and west, China to the east, Kyrgyzstan to the southeast, Uzbeki ...

, Miocene to Pliocene) *** † ''Ochotona'' (''Proochotona'') ''gigas'' (Ukraine, Pliocene) *** †'' Ochotona gureevi'' (Transbaikalia, middle Pliocene) *** †''

Ochotona hengduanshanensis A pika ( or ; archaically spelled pica) is a small, mountain-dwelling mammal found in Asia and North America. With short limbs, very round body, an even coat of fur, and no external tail, they resemble their close relative, the rabbit, but wi ...

'' (China, Pleistocene) *** †'' Ochotona intermedia'' (Asia, Pliocene) *** † ''Ochotona'' (''Proochotona'') ''kalfaense'' (Europe:

, Miocene) *** † ''Ochotona'' (''Proochotona'') ''kirgisica'' (Asia: Kyrgyzstan, Pliocene) *** †''

Ochotona kormosi A pika ( or ; archaically spelled pica) is a small, mountain-dwelling mammal found in Asia and North America. With short limbs, very round body, an even coat of fur, and no external tail, they resemble their close relative, the rabbit, but wi ...

'' (

Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Cr ...

, Pleistocene) *** † ''Ochotona'' (''Proochotona'') ''kurdjukovi'' (Asia: Kyrgyzstan, Pliocene) *** †'' Ochotona largerli'' (Georgia, Pleistocene) *** †'' Ochotona lazari'' (Ukraine, Pleistocene) *** †'' Ochotona mediterranensis'' (

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula ...

, Pliocene) *** †'' Ochotona ozansoyi'' (Turkey, Miocene) *** †'' Ochotona pseudopusilla'' (Ukraine and Russian Plain, Pleistocene) *** †'' Ochotona spelaeus'' (Ukraine, late Pleistocene) *** †'' Ochotona tedfordi'' (China: Yushe Basin, late Miocene) *** †'' Ochotona cf. whartoni'' (

Irkutsk Oblast Irkutsk Oblast (russian: Ирку́тская о́бласть, Irkutskaya oblast; bua, Эрхүү можо, Erkhüü mojo) is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast), located in southeastern Siberia in the basins of the Angara, Lena, and N ...

and

Yakutia Sakha, officially the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia),, is the largest republic of Russia, located in the Russian Far East, along the Arctic Ocean, with a population of roughly 1 million. Sakha comprises half of the area of its governing Far E ...

, Pleistocene, see also North America) *** †'' Ochotona zabiensis'' (southern

, early Pleistocene) *** †''Ochotona'' sp. (

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders wi ...

Maritsa Maritsa or Maritza ( bg, Марица ), also known as Meriç ( tr, Meriç ) and Evros ( ell, Έβρος ), is a river that runs through the Balkans in Southeast Europe. With a length of , *** †''Ochotona'' sp. (Hungary: Ostramos, Pleistocene) *** †''Ochotona'' sp. (Siberia, Pleistocene) *** †''Ochotona'' sp. (Yakutia, Pleistocene) * North America ** †'' Ochotona gromovi'' ( US:

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the ...

, Pliocene, see also Eurasia) ** †'' Ochotona spanglei'' (US, late Miocene or early Pliocene) ** †'' Ochotona tologoica'' (US: Colorado, Pliocene, see also Eurasia) ** †''Ochotona whartoni'' ( giant pika, US,

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...

, Pleistocene to early Holocene, see also Eurasia) ** †'' Ochotona wheatleyi'' (US:

, Pliocene, late Pleistocene) ** †'' Ochotona zazhigini'' (US: Colorado, Pleistocene, see also Eurasia) ** extinct small pikas similar to the '' O. pusilla'' group (Pleistocene) Paleontologists have also described multiple forms of pika not referred to specific species (''Ochotona'' indet.) or not certainly identified (''O.''

cf. The abbreviation ''cf.'' (short for the la, confer/conferatur, both meaning "compare") is used in writing to refer the reader to other material to make a comparison with the topic being discussed. Style guides recommend that ''cf.'' be used onl ...

''antiqua'', ''O.'' cf. ''cansus'', ''O.'' cf. ''daurica'', ''O.'' cf. ''eximia'', ''O.'' cf. ''gromovi'', ''O.'' cf. ''intermedia'', ''O.'' cf. ''koslowi'', ''O.'' cf. ''lagrelii'', ''O.'' cf. ''nihewanica''). The statuses of ''Ochotona'' (''Proochotona'') ''kirgisica'' and ''O. spelaeus'' are uncertain. The "''pusilla''" group of pikas is characterized by archaic (

plesiomorphic In phylogenetics, a plesiomorphy ("near form") and symplesiomorphy are synonyms for an ancestral character shared by all members of a clade, which does not distinguish the clade from other clades. Plesiomorphy, symplesiomorphy, apomorphy, and ...

) cheek teeth and small size. The North American species migrated from Eurasia. They invaded the New World twice: * ''O. spanglei'' during the latest Miocene or early Pliocene, followed by a roughly three-million-year-long gap in the known North American pikas record *''O. whartoni'' (giant pika) and small pikas via the

Bering Land Bridge Beringia is defined today as the land and maritime area bounded on the west by the Lena River in Russia; on the east by the Mackenzie River in Canada; on the north by 72 degrees north latitude in the Chukchi Sea; and on the south by the tip of ...

during the earliest Pleistocene ''Ochotona''

''whartoni'' and small pikas of the ''O. pusilla'' group are also known from Siberia. The extant,

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...

North American species appeared in the Pleistocene. The North American collared pika (''O. collaris'') and American pika (''O. princeps'') have been suggested to have descended from the same ancestor as the steppe pika (''O. pusilla''). The range of ''Ochotona'' was larger in the past, with both extinct and extant species inhabiting Western Europe and Eastern North America, areas that are currently free of pikas. Pleistocene fossils of the extant steppe pika ''O. pusilla'' currently native to Asia have been found also in many countries of Europe from the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...

to Russia and from

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

to Poland, and the Asiatic extant northern pika ''O. hyperborea'' in one location in the middle Pleistocene United States. Pika Ochotona sp

Other

genera Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nomenclat ...

of ochotonids (currently living only Ochotonidae) include except ''Ochotona'' (pika) extinct †'' Albertona'', †'' Alloptox'', †'' Amphilagus'', †'' Australagomys'', †'' Austrolagomys'', †'' Bellatona'', †'' Bellatonoides'', †'' Bohlinotona'', †'' Cuyamalagus'', †'' Desmatolagus'', †'' Eurolagus'', †'' Gripholagomys'', †'' Gymnesicolagus'', †'' Hesperolagomys'', †'' Heterolagus'', †'' Kenyalagomys'', †'' Lagopsis'', †'' Marcuinomys'', †'' Ochotonoides'', †'' Ochotonoma'', †'' Oklahomalagus'', †'' Oreolagus'', †'' Paludotona'', †'' Piezodus'', †'' Plicalagus'', †'' Pliolagomys'', †'' Prolagus'', †'' Proochotona'' ( syn. ''Ochotona''), †'' Pseudobellatona'', †'' Ptychoprolagus'', †'' Russellagus'', †'' Sinolagomys'' and †'' Titanomys''. The earliest one is ''Desmatolagus'' (middle Eocene to Miocene, 42.5–14.8 Ma), usually included in the Ochotonidae, sometimes in

or in neither ochotonid nor leporid stem-

lagomorphs The lagomorphs are the members of the taxonomic order Lagomorpha, of which there are two living families: the Leporidae (hares and rabbits) and the Ochotonidae (pikas). The name of the order is derived from the Ancient Greek ''lagos'' (λαγ� ...

. Ochotonids appeared in Asia between the late Eocene and the early Oligocene, and continued to develop along with increased distribution of C₃ grasses in previously forest dominated areas under the "climatic optimum" from the late Oligocene to middle Miocene. They thrived in Eurasia, North America, and even Africa. The peak of their diversity occurred during the period from the early Miocene to middle Miocene, most of them became extinct during the transition from the Miocene to Pliocene, what was accompanied by diversity increase in the '' leporids''. It has been proposed that this switch between ochotonids and larger leporids was caused by expansion of C₄ plants (particularly the

Poaceae Poaceae () or Gramineae () is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of monocotyledonous flowering plants commonly known as grasses. It includes the cereal grasses, bamboos and the grasses of natural grassland and species cultivated in lawns an ...

) related to global cooling in the late Miocene, since extant pikas reveal a strong preference for C₃ plants (

Asteraceae The family Asteraceae, alternatively Compositae, consists of over 32,000 known species of flowering plants in over 1,900 genera within the order Asterales. Commonly referred to as the aster, daisy, composite, or sunflower family, Compositae ...

Rosaceae Rosaceae (), the rose family, is a medium-sized family of flowering plants that includes 4,828 known species in 91 genera. The name is derived from the type genus ''Rosa''. Among the most species-rich genera are '' Alchemilla'' (270), ''Sorb ...

, and

Fabaceae The Fabaceae or Leguminosae,International Code of Nomenc ...

, many of them C₃). Replacement of large areas of forests by open grassland first started probably in North America and is called sometimes "nature's green revolution".

Notes

References

Additional references of the Paleobiology Database

External links

The trek of the pika
by Michael Morris, Parks Canada, Mount Revelstoke and Glacier National Parks. (includes sound file) {{Authority control Extant Burdigalian first appearances

Habitat

Characteristics

Activity

Dialects

Lifespan

Species

Extinct species

Notes

References

Additional references of the Paleobiology Database

Further reading

External links