The animal Daurian Pika is one you may not be familiar with. The scientific name for this mammal is Ochotona dauurica. They belong to the order Lagomorpha and are in the family Ochotonidae. You will learn all about them in this essay.

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The Daurian Pika is easy to identify. They are generally about seven inches (18 centimeters) long, but can be shorter as well. They have gray-brown fur, with a light brown underside. An adaptation pikas have is that they have hair on their feet, which helps them scurry on rocks. They are tailless, and have double-upper incisors. Although they belong to the same order as hares and rabbits, some say they share more of a resemblance towards guinea pigs.

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 Pikas are quite common in many different areas. They are native to areas of Asia and Europe, particularly Japan, China, Mongolia, and Russia; however, they are known to be native to some parts of western North America. The population density of burrowing pikas may be greater than 750 per acre towards the end of the breeding season. They are important because they recycle soil, are prey for other animals, and provide food for other herbivores. In general, pikas are important animals whose population is not threatened.

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The Daurian Pikas feeding habits are quite different from general pikas. They are selective herbivores, and are known to store vegetation in the entrance of their burrows. It is known that certain shrubs grow where burrows are, indicating the importance of the pika’s feeding habits. The pika carries vegetation in its mouth and carries it back to the den, consuming it later when vegetation is sparse. A threat pikas may have is that many areas in which they inhabit are poisoned due to their potential competition with livestock on the open rangeland.  Pikas do not interrupt other animals eating habits, and provide floral diversity.

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The Daurian Pika should be more identified, for they provide soil, prey, and food for multiple herbivores. An interesting fact about them is that large continuous colonies of Daurian pikas are made up of individual burrow systems. I learned that they can provide food for themselves in the dead of winter.

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Author: Mehek B 

Published: 2/2013

 

Sources: World Books Encyclopedia, 2000, Vol. 15, “pika”, page 451

www.wilpro.twycrosszoo.org, Daurian pika, 1990

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daurian_pika, Daurian pika, 2000 

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Photo Credit: Flickr user one4yes