Ochotona dauurica (Pallas, 1776)

Don E. Wilson, Thomas E. Lacher, Jr & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2016, Ochotonidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 6 Lagomorphs and Rodents I, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 28-43 : 30

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Daurian Pika

Ochotona dauurica

French: Pika de Daourie / German: Daurien-Pfeifhase / Spanish: Pica de Dauria

Other common names: Eastern Daurian Pika (dauurica), Uvs Nuur Daurian Pika (/ atibullata)

Taxonomy. Lepus dauuricus Pallas, 1776 ,

“per totam Dauuriam” (= the whole Dauria), southern part of Zabaikalskiy Territory, Russia.

According to mtDNA and nDNA, O. dauurica belongs to subgenus Ochotona , together with other burrowing species of pikas from Inner Asia. Some authors historically included O. curzoniae in this species. Morphological and karyological studies suggested these species were separate.

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Molecular genetic studies showed that they are related but not sister species. According to morphological study, O. dauurica includes altaina, annectens, bedfordi, huangensis, latibullata, minor, mursaevi, and ogotona. The name huangensis was erroneously assigned to O. syrinx in a number of papers and checklists. Comprehensive taxonomic revision of O. dauurica has not been done yet; only morphological variation in the northern part ofits distribution has been studied. Provisional subspecies are recognized here, but they need further revision. Three subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution.

O.d.dauuricaPallas,1776—SEAltaiMtsandSTransbaikalia(Russia),Mongolia(exceptforUvsNuurDepression),andNChina(InnerMongolia=NeiMongolandNHebei).

O.d.huangensisMatschie,1908—CChinaMtsfromNEQinghaitoShanxiandextremeWHenan.

O. d. latibullata Sokolov et al., 1994 — Tuva (Russia) and Uvs Nuur Depression (NW Mongolia).

Descriptive notes. Head-body 140-220 mm, ear 16-27 mm, hindfoot 24-35 mm; weight 103-190 g. The Daurian Pika is medium-sized. Dorsal fur is brown to sandy brown or straw gray, with lighter flanks. Ventral fur is white, with sandy brown or sandy tint on throat and chest. Winter fur is longer and lighter than during other seasons— sandy gray or sandy. Ears are rounded, with clear white margins. Claws are long, and pads of toes are hidden in dense fur. Skull is medium-sized, with widely confluent incisive and palatal foramens. Bone arch, separating orbit from big triangular lateral maxillary opening, is very thin. Auditory bullae are large and connivent. Condylobasal lengths are 36-44 mm, skull widths are 19-23 mm, and skull heights are 14-16 mm. The Daurian Pika has similar skull characteristics to other representatives of the subgenus Ochotona , but it is larger than the Gansu Pika ( O. cansus ), the Moupin Pika ( O. thibetana ), the Tsing-ling Pika ( O. syrinx ), Thomas’s Pika (O. thomas), and the Nubra Pika ( O. nubrica ); its skull heightis larger than that of the Tsing-ling Pika , and the skull is notably less arched than that of the Plateau Pika ( O. curzoniae ).

Habitat. Different types of dry mountain steppe at elevations of 1200-3300 m. Subspecies latibullata inhabits the lowest elevations at ¢.800-2000 m. The Daurian Pika is a true burrowing species and does not associated with shrublands in most ofits distribution. In the north-western part of its distribution, it prefers steppe with well-developed grass cover. On the Loess Plateau of China and adjacent regions, the Daurian Pika digs numerous burrows in dry loess with scarce vegetation. It tolerates anthropogenic impacts, living at dumps, under “wattle and daub” fences and huts (made ofsticks and clay), and along roads; however,it is negatively affected by overgrazing by livestock.

Food and Feeding. The Daurian Pika eats green plants during warm seasons and stores hay in piles; hay hoarding starts in the last part of summer, with exact dates greatly dependent on weather and local ecological conditions. Hay piles are 0.1-2.7 kg, with some piles reaching 6 kg. Hay piles consist of locally dominant plants, but Daurian Pikas can be selective. Some piles consist of 1-2 plant species, and others have 9 species or more. A hay pile is usually situated under the base of a bush. Hoarding activities of Daurian Pikas can alter vegetation communities.

Breeding. The Daurian Pika is polygynous. Breeding starts in March-April and lasts ¢.3 months. Adult females have 2-3 litters/year, with a maximum of 5 litters/year. Young females become fertile c.1 month after birth, males c.2 weekslater. First breeding can occur at c¢.2 months. Gestation is ¢.21 days; neonates are born bare. Litter sizes are 1-12 young. Young Daurian Pikas first appear outside their burrows at c.2 weeks of age.

Activity patterns. Activities of Daurian Pikas change seasonally and depend on weather. During warm weather, they are diurnal and avoid mid-day heat and windy periods. In cold weather, they are active throughout the day, with peaks during sunny hours. The Daurian Pika is moderately secretive. It can be seen on the surface outside its burrow, especially in early morning, but lengthy, calm sunbathing is not characteristic. When alerted, Daurian Pikas swiftly escape to their burrows.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Daurian Pikas move among grass and rocks or other landscape roughness and avoid open areas. Home range has a core area and peripheral area. An “owner” defends a core area, and interactions in peripheral areas tend to be peaceful. Home ranges of males and females overlap. There are seasonal changes of home range size; male home ranges are bigger in summer, while females are bigger in autumn. Home ranges are 480-900 m* in Tuva and 1200-17,000 m? in Transbaikalia and Inner Mongolia. After dispersal, young Daurian Pikas have small home ranges. Dispersal starts at 45-60 days of age. Densities reach 1000-17,200 ind/km?; winter densities are lower at ¢.1400 ind/km?. Areas occupied by Daurian Pikas have altered vegetation, system oftrails, and piles of pellets near burrow entrances. Daurian Pikas have complicated vocalizations, including alarm calls,trills, and songs, that have different functions, including social. They dig complex burrows covering 50-190 m?, with 4-80 entrances. Burrows can be as deep as 15-60 cm and 90 m long, with one breeding chamber and several chambers that serve as latrines and for hay storage. Short temporary burrows can be used as shelter or as hay storage.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red Lust.

Bibliography. Bobal (2001), Borisova, Rudneva & Starkov (2008), Borisova, Starkov et al. (2001), Komonen et al. (2003), Lissovsky (2014), Melo-Ferreira et al. (2015), Proskurina (1991), Sokolov et al. (1994), Travina et al. (2000), Wang Mengjun et al. (2000), Yu Ning et al. (2000), Zhang Daochuan etal. (2001).

Figures

On following pages: 3. Tsing-ling Pika (Ochotona syrinx); 4. Gansu Pika (Ochotona cansus); 5. Nubra Pika (Ochotona nubrica); 6. Plateau Pika (Ochotona curzoniae); 7. Thomas's Pika (Ochotona thomasi); 8. Alpine Pika (Ochotona alpina); 9. Turuchan Pika (Ochotona turuchanensis): 10. Northern Pika (Ochotona hyperborea); 11. Manchurian Pika (Ochotona mantchurica); 12. Hoffmann's Pika (Ochotona hoffmanni); 13. Korean Pika (Ochotona coreana), 14. Pallas's Pika (Ochotona pallasii).

Subspecies and Distribution. O.d.dauuricaPallas,1776—SEAltaiMtsandSTransbaikalia(Russia),Mongolia(exceptforUvsNuurDepression),andNChina(InnerMongolia=NeiMongolandNHebei). O.d.huangensisMatschie,1908—CChinaMtsfromNEQinghaitoShanxiandextremeWHenan. O. d. latibullata Sokolov et al., 1994 — Tuva (Russia) and Uvs Nuur Depression (NW Mongolia).