Black pika

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Black pika
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Lagomorpha
Family: Ochotonidae
Genus: Ochotona
Species:
O. nigritia
Binomial name
Ochotona nigritia
Gong, Wang, Li & Li, 2000
Black Pika area.png
Black pika range

The black pika or silver pika (Ochotona nigritia) is a species of mammal in the family Ochotonidae. It was thought to be common to the Yunnan Province of China [2] where it was first discovered in 2000, it is only known from four specimens. The validity of the species has been questioned, [3] with some studies suggesting that the known specimens represent melanistic individuals of Forrest's pika (Ochotona forresti). [4]

Contents

Subsequently, in 2011, a WWF-India team on an expedition to West Kameng, India reported sighting two black pikas at an altitude of 13,000 ft in the Thembang Bapu community-conserved forest area. [5]

It is rarely found, one of the six pika species endemic to central China, with no true population studies. [6] [lower-alpha 1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pika</span> Genus of mammals in the family Ochotonidae of the order Lagomorpha

A pika 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 with short, rounded ears. The large-eared pika of the Himalayas and nearby mountains is found at heights of more than 6,000 m (20,000 ft), among the highest of any mammal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alpine pika</span> Species of mammal

The alpine pika 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 tinge during the winter. The alpine pika is found in western Mongolia, eastern Kazakhstan, and Russia, as well as in China, in very cold, mountainous regions. It is a generalist herbivore, and mainly forages on mosses, tree branches, pine nuts, and plant stems. It can emit three series of different vocalizations: a long call, a short call, and an alarm call. It is rated as a species of least concern on the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plateau pika</span> Species of mammal

The plateau pika, also known as the black-lipped pika, is a species of mammal in the pika family, Ochotonidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daurian pika</span> Species of mammal

The Daurian pika 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chinese red pika</span> Species of mammal

The Chinese red pika is a species of mammal in the family Ochotonidae. Typical of a pika it has short limbs, a small tail and round ears. Specific to the Chinese red pika has distinctive red color in its pelt. The Chinese pika typically lives in rocky terrain at altitudes between 600 and 1200 meters. and is endemic to the East Qinghai, West Gansu and Northern Sichuan provinces of China and Eastern Tibet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Forrest's pika</span> Species of mammal

The Forrest's pika 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 dorsal pelage is a grayish brown, slightly lighter in tone than the ventral pelage. It is a generalist herbivore. It was assessed by the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species as insufficiently known in 1994, as near threatened in 1996, and re-assessed in 2008 as a species of least concern.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gaoligong pika</span> Species of mammal

The Gaoligong pika 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 pika is specifically characterized by unique physical characteristics, including a red-brown colored crown around the neck and black behind the ears. They can produce one litter per year and can live up to three years. Their behavior is currently undetermined due to limited information available about the species. This is due to the inaccessibility of their habitat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glover's pika</span> Species of mammal

Glover's pika is a species of mammal in the family Ochotonidae. It was first described in 1922, by Michael Rogers Oldfield Thomas. The summer dorsal pelage is grayish rufous, grayish brown, or tea brown in colour. The winter pelage is similar to the summer pelage, but is lighter in tone. Endemic to China, it is found in high altitudes of northeastern Tibet, southwestern Qinghai, western Sichuan, and northwestern Yunnan. It is a generalist herbivore, and is known to construct haypiles. It is rated as a species of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. It is also regionally red listed as least concern in China.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ladak pika</span> Species of mammal

The Ladak pika, 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 plateau pika. Named for the Ladakh region, they are commonly found in valleys of the mountain ranges spanning from Pakistan through India to China at an elevation between 4,300 and 5,450 m and are herbivores.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Large-eared pika</span> Species of mammal

The large-eared pika is a species of small mammal in the family Ochotonidae. It is found in mountainous regions of Afghanistan, Tibet, Bhutan, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, Pakistan and Tajikistan where it nests among boulders and scree.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Muli pika</span> Species of mammal

The Muli pika is a species of mammal in the family Ochotonidae. It is endemic to China. Its natural habitat is temperate grassland. It is threatened by habitat loss.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Afghan pika</span> Species of mammal

The Afghan pika 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".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Turkestan red pika</span> Species of mammal

The Turkestani red pika is a species of mammal in the family Ochotonidae. The summer fur at its back is bright rufous and the ventral fur is white or ochraceous. The winter dorsal fur is pale brown and the ventral fur is white or light ochraceous in colour. It is found in the mountains of western Xinjiang in China, and sporadically also in the central Asian mountains in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. The female has a low fertility rate, and gives birth to offspring during the breeding season from spring to summer. She generally produces two litters each year, with two to six young. It is rated as a species of least concern on the 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moupin pika</span> Species of mammal

The Moupin pika, also known as Ribetischer Pika, Moupin-Pika, Pika del Tibet, and Manipuri pika, is a species of mammal in the pika family, Ochotonidae. It has many subspecies, some of which may be distinct species. Its summer pelage 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, it is found in the mountains of the eastern Tibetan Plateau in China, Bhutan, India (Sikkim), 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; although one subspecies may be endangered.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas's pika</span> Species of mammal

Thomas's pika, 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 threatened by habitat loss, being found on isolated peaks of the eastern Qilian Mountains in Qinghai, Gansu, and northwestern Sichuan, in China. The International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Endangered Species assessed the animal as insufficiently known in 1994, as near threatened in 1996, and as a species of least concern in 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tsing-ling pika</span> Species of mammal

The Tsing-ling pika is a species of pika endemic to the mountains in Central China. It inhabits mountainous forests and shrublands. It is a poorly known species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thembang</span>

Thembang is an ancient village with high historical and cultural significance situated in West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh, India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Tibetan Plateau–Kunlun Mountains alpine desert</span> Ecoregion in the Tibetan Plateau

The North Tibetan Plateau-Kunlun Mountains alpine desert ecoregion covers a long stretch of mostly treeless alpine terrain across the northern edge of the Tibet Plateau. A variety of cold, dry habitats are found, including alpine meadows, steppe, desert, and cushion plant floral areas.

References

Notes

  1. The other five species are Thomas's pika ( Ochotona thomasi ),Forrest's pika ( Ochotona forresti ), the Gaoligong pika ( Ochotona gaoligongensis ), the Tsing-ling pika ( Ochotona huangensis ), and the Muli pika ( Ochotona muliensis ). [6]
  1. Smith, A.T. & Johnston, C.H. (2008). "Ochotona nigrita". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2008. Retrieved 10 April 2009. Database entry includes a brief justification of why this species is of data deficient.
  2. "Ochotona nigritia - Black pika (Species)". Archived from the original on 2013-09-28. Retrieved 2011-11-25.
  3. Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M., eds. (2005). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN   978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC   62265494.
  4. Ge, D.; et al. (2012). "Reevaluation of several taxa of Chinese lagomorphs (Mammalia: Lagomorpha) described on the basis of pelage phenotype variation". Mammalian Biology. 77 (2): 113–123. doi:10.1016/j.mambio.2011.09.009.
  5. Goswami, Roopak (July 15, 2011). "Black pika sighted in Arunachal - WWF-India research team stumbles upon rare mammal at 13000ft". The Telegraph. Calcutta: Ananda Bazaar Patrika. Archived from the original on July 17, 2011. Retrieved July 15, 2011. The WWF members sighted two black pikas in Pangila and Potok areas at an altitude of 13,000 feet on June 22 and 23 while they, along with villagers of Thembang, were conducting surveys in the Thembang Bapu community-conserved forest area in West Kameng district. The survey was part of a project for development of a management plan of the area.
  6. 1 2 Alves, Ferrand & Hacklände 2008, p.  308.

Bibliography