The Turuchan pika (''Ochotona turuchanensis'') is a species of
pika
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 ...
found in isolated regions in the
Central Siberian Plateau
The Central Siberian Plateau (russian: Среднесибирское плоскогорье, Srednesibirskoye ploskogorye; sah, Орто Сибиир хаптал хайалаах сирэ) is a vast mountainous area in Siberia, one of the Grea ...
. It is a small (16–19 cm) rock dwelling species that is active during the day due to the low temperature at night. It was previously thought to be a
subspecies
In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...
of the
Northern pika
The northern pika (''Ochotona hyperborea'') is a species of pika found across mountainous regions of northern Asia, from the Ural Mountains to northern Japan and south through Mongolia, Manchuria and northern Korea. An adult northern pika has a b ...
. Little is known about this species, but is known to be locally abundant.
Distribution
The Turuchan pika occurs from the southern reach of the
Yenisei River
The Yenisey (russian: Енисе́й, ''Yeniséy''; mn, Горлог мөрөн, ''Gorlog mörön''; Buryat: Горлог мүрэн, ''Gorlog müren''; Tuvan: Улуг-Хем, ''Uluğ-Hem''; Khakas: Ким суғ, ''Kim suğ''; Ket: Ӄук ...
to
Lake Baikal
Lake Baikal (, russian: Oзеро Байкал, Ozero Baykal ); mn, Байгал нуур, Baigal nuur) is a rift lake in Russia. It is situated in southern Siberia, between the federal subjects of Irkutsk Oblast to the northwest and the Repu ...
to the middle region of the
Lena River
The Lena (russian: Ле́на, ; evn, Елюенэ, ''Eljune''; sah, Өлүөнэ, ''Ölüöne''; bua, Зүлхэ, ''Zülkhe''; mn, Зүлгэ, ''Zülge'') is the easternmost of the three great Siberian rivers that flow into the Arctic Ocean ...
.
On the Primorsky Mountain Ridge in the
Irkutsk Region
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 Nizh ...
, 14 localities were surveyed for pika occurrence in June 2018 and July 2019. All areas were considered to be within the Northern pika's range of distribution. However, it was discovered through
in-situ pika vocalizations that only the Turuchan pika was present there.
Haying Behavior
On the Primorsky Ridge, in the talus surrounded by
taiga
Taiga (; rus, тайга́, p=tɐjˈɡa; relates to Mongolic and Turkic languages), generally referred to in North America as a boreal forest or snow forest, is a biome characterized by coniferous forests consisting mostly of pines, spruce ...
, researchers investigated the diversity and abundance of plant species found in the Turuchan pika habitat and the pika's haypiles. The pika was found to be selective in its food collection, and due to their relative rarity in the environment,
Veratrum nigrum
''Veratrum nigrum'', the black false hellebore,Bonine, ''Black Plants: 75 Striking Choices for the Garden,'' 2009, p. 75.Toogood, ''The Gardener's Encyclopedia of Perennials,'' 1988, p. 144. is a widespread Eurasian species of perennial flowerin ...
and
Urtica dioica
''Urtica dioica'', often known as common nettle, burn nettle, stinging nettle (although not all plants of this species sting) or nettle leaf, or just a nettle or stinger, is a herbaceous perennial flowering plant in the family Urticaceae. Ori ...
were highly prized and abundant within the hay-piles.
References
* Borisova, Nikulin, A. A., Nikulina, N. A., Popov, S. V., Starkov, A. I., & Lenkhoboeva, S. Yu. (2022). Findings of the Turukhan pika (Ochotona turuchanensis Naumov 1934) on the Primorsky Range (Irkutsk Region). Zoologicheskiĭ Zhurnal., 101(1), 94–100.
https://doi.org/10.31857/S0044513422010020
* Lenkhoboeva, S. Y., Chepinoga, V. V., Borisova, N. G., Chimitov, D. G., Belova, V. A., Skornyakova, A. M., Nikulin, A. A., Nikulina, N. A., & Ilchenko, O. G. (2021). The composition of haypiles of Turuchan pika (Preliminary analysis). ''IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science'', ''908''(1), 012019.
https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/908/1/012019
Further reading
*
Pikas
Mammals described in 1934
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