Turkestan red pika

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Turkestan red pika

Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Lagomorpha
Family: Ochotonidae
Genus: Ochotona
Species:
O. rutila
Binomial name
Ochotona rutila
(
Severtzov
, 1873)
Turkestan red pika range

The Turkestani red pika (Ochotona rutila) is a species of

International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Endangered Species
, but it is considered to be near-threatened within the China part of its range.

Taxonomy

The Turkestan red pika is one of the 30 recognized species of

Ochotona gloveri) as subspecies of the Turkestan red pika. Multiple authors (Gureev in 1964; Weston in 1982; Feng and Zheng in 1985; and Feng, Cai, and Zheng in 1988) have since separated them as independent species, based on their colouration, zoogeography (branch of the science of biogeography that is concerned with the present and past geographic distribution of animal species), and skull morphology.[4] The mammalogists Robert S. Hoffmann and Andrew T. Smith listed the Turkestan red pika as a species in the third edition of Mammal Species of the World that was published in 2005.[3] Currently, it has no recognized subspecies.[1][3]

Description

The Turkestan red pika measures 19.6 to 23 cm (7.7 to 9.1 in) in length, of which 9.5 to 11 cm (3.7 to 4.3 in) is the tail. It weighs 220 to 320 g (7.8 to 11.3 oz).

incisor teeth where blood vessels and nerves pass) and the palatal foramen are combined.[5]

In contrast with most other pikas, the Turkestan red pika is a quiet species, and is also commonly known as the "silent" pika. It has no alarm calls and no song vocalizations. In alarm conditions, it takes cover under rocks and emits a chattering call which is similar to that of the northern pika (

Ochotona hyperborea) and two subspecies of the alpine pika, O. a. cinereofusca, and O. a. scorodumovi. Individuals belonging to the same species are alerted by this signal.[4]

Distribution and habitat

Mount Yamnuska, Alberta, Canada

The region of

Iskanderkul Lake area of Tajikistan, and the Great Alma-Ata Lake area in Kazakhstan.[1] Its range is allopatric with that of the Chinese red pika.[4]

It is a rock-dwelling pika which usually inhabits 

valley shoulders, accumulated due to periodic rockfall from adjacent cliff faces) and takes shelter in large boulders.[1][5] It is typically found at moderate elevations of less than 3,000 metres (9,800 ft) from sea level,[5] despite the availability of the talus environment.[4]

Behavior and ecology

The Turkestan red pika is a

legumes, or other herbaceous plants that serve as animal fodder).[5] However, unlike most other pikas, it does not feed in open meadows, but in an area of within 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) from the talus-vegetation edge. They have wide home ranges and can find sufficient food, as the vegetation on the talus is widely dispersed.[4]

The female has a low fertility rate, and generally produces two litters each year, with two to six (averaging 4.2) young, during the breeding season from spring to summer.[4] The offspring are not reproductively active in their birth summer.[5] Throughout much of the summer after their birth, the young live with their parents and forage on vegetation stored by them. During the following winter most juveniles live with their parents. The adult male and the female are rarely seen together during autumn, even though they have a mutual home range.[4]

The stoat (

Mustela erminea) is a major predator, and 19% of its feces were found to contain furs of the Turkestan red pika.[4]

Status and conservation

Since 1996, the Turkestan red pika is rated as a species of 

IUCN Red List of Endangered Species. This is because although it has a patchy distribution, it is a widespread species in suitable habitat. It also has a stable population trend. There are no known major threats to the species, although low population density and low fertility rates are possible reasons for concern. At one time it used to be trapped for its fur, but that practice has now stopped.[1] It is considered a near threatened species by the Chinese authorities in its distribution in that country.[1]

Notes

  1. Ochotona roylei).[2]

References

  1. ^
    doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T41270A45184897.en
    . Retrieved 14 November 2021.
  2. ^
    ISBN 978-354-072446-9
    .
  3. ^
    OCLC 62265494
    .
  4. ^
    ISBN 978-283-170019-9
    .
  5. ^
    ISBN 978-140-083411-2
    .
  6. ^ "Turkestan | Definition of Turkestan in English by Oxford Dictionaries". Oxford Dictionaries | English. 2017. Archived from the original on 26 October 2017. Retrieved 28 October 2017.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Turkestan_red_pika&oldid=1211518893"