Ochotona rutila (Severtzov, 1873)

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 : 42

25.

Turkestan Red Pika

Ochotona rutila

French: Pika roux / German: Roter Pfeifhase / Spanish: Pica roja de Turkestan

Other common names: Red Pika

Taxonomy. Lagomys rutilus Severtzov, 1873 ,

“B ropax y Bepharo, Ha Beicote 7-8000 ¢yroB” (= in mountains near Verniy [Almaty], at elevations of 7-8000 feet), Almaty, Kazakhstan.

According to mtDNA and nDNA, O. rutila belongs to subgenus Conothoa. It was confused with O. macrotis and O. erythrotis up to the second part of 20" century. This led to numerous errors in description of the distribution of O. rutila . One reason for this confusion was because of N. Severtzov’s description in 1873: one specimen of the two comprising the type series belongs to O. rutila in modern understanding, and anotheris a young O. macrotis . S. I. Ognev in 1940 designated the formeras the lectotype, eliminating confusion. O. rutilais not a sister taxa to O. macrotis or O. erythrotis . Monotypic.

Distribution. Patchily from Tian Shan (from Central Asian side) to Gissar ranges in SE Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, E Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan. This species clearly has a relictual range.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 190-260 mm, ear 26-30 mm, hindfoot 33-39 mm; weight 220-320 g. The Turkestan Red Pika is a large pika. Dorsal fur is bright rufous, ventral fur is light gray, and throat is white. Winter fur is long, soft, and gray; head is rufous; and belly is whitish. Melanistic specimens are known. Ears are large and rounded, with white margins. Skull is large and stout, with wide interorbital constriction. Incisive and palatal foramens can be confluent or separated. A pair of openings on frontal bones occursin rare cases. Auditory bullae are relatively large. Condylobasal lengths are 45-50 mm, skull widths are 23-25 mm, and skull heights are 17-18 mm. The Turkestan Red Pika differs from the Large-eared Pika ( O. macrotis ) by its pelage color, largersize, and stout zygomatic arch.

Habitat. Talus composed oflarge stones in mountain gorges and valleys of forest and subalpine areas at elevations of 1800-3700 m. The Turkestan Red Pika is a typical rock dweller, using crevices among stones as shelters and pathways.

Food and Feeding. The Turkestan Red Pika eats a very wide variety of plants such as herbs, some trees and bushes, green mosses, and lichens. Turkestan Red Pikas hoard hay in hay piles. Hoarding starts in the first part of summer and lasts until September. Composition of hay piles is very variable;it includes some plant species that are normally absent in summer diets. Composition of hay piles does not completely reflect local flora; there are always several plant species that dominate hay piles. Hay piles are 0.3-2 kg, but very large piles of 3-8 kg are also common. Hay piles are situated in rock crevices or under cover oflarge stones. During winter, Turkestan Red Pikas eat stored hay and also bark and needles of coniferous trees.

Breeding. Breeding of Turkestan Red Pikas starts in March and lasts c.4 months. Young females becomefertile at 3-3-5 months old. Adult female can breed two or maybe three times per season; young females also breed in some regions. Interval between breeding is very short. Breeding dates depend on weather and region. Each female has 2-6 embryos. Gestation is ¢.30 days; neonates are covered with dark fur and born with their eyes closed. Eyes open after 11-12 days. At 20 days of age, young start independent life.

Activity patterns. Turkestan Red Pikas are mainly diurnal. As in all rock-dwelling pikas, activity depends on insolation and weather. During high heat in Central Asia, Turkestan Red Pikas avoid emerging on talus surfaces. In other seasons, they are active throughout the day. Activity starts at sunrise and stops with evening dusk. During winter, Turkestan Red Pikas are less active and emerge on snow only during daylight. There are no long trails emerging from short snow tunnels.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. The Turkestan Red Pika moves with short leaps. It usually moves along constant trails, emerging on surface only for a few meters; it probably uses pathways below talus surfaces. Two known home ranges were 350 m? and 750 m?. Home ranges of males and females overlap. Turkestan Red Pikas are not aggressive. Densities are 800-1340 ind/km®. Old hay piles and large latrines under large flat stones identify occupied areas, but they are not easy to discover. Vocalization is weakly developed. Several types of quiet contact calls do not carry social function. Nests of the Turkestan Red Pikas have not been found in the wild; in captivity, they were hemispherically shaped and made of dry grass.

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

Bibliography. Melo-Ferreira et al. (2015), Ognev (1940), Severtzov (1873), Sludskiy etal. (1980), Sokolov et al. (1994).

Figures

15. Kazakh Pika (Ochotona opaca), 16. Silver Pika (Ochotona argentata), 17. American Pika (Ochotona princeps), 18. Collared Pika (Ochotona collaris), 19. Steppe Pika (Ochotona pusilla), 20. Large-eared Pika (Ochotona macrotis), 21. Royle’s Pika (Ochotona roylu), 22. Afghan Pika (Ochotona rufescens), 23. Forrest's Pika (Ochotona forrest), 24. Ladak Pika (Ochotona ladacensis), 25. Turkestan Red Pika (Ochotona rutila), 26. Kozlov’s Pika (Ochotona koslowi), 27. Chinese Red Pika (Ochotona erythrotis), 28. Glover’s Pika (Ochotona gloveri), 29. Ili Pika (Ochotona iliensis)

Distribution. Patchily from Tian Shan (from Central Asian side) to Gissar ranges in SE Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, E Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan. This species clearly has a relictual range.