Manchurian pika


The Manchurian pika is a species of mammal in the family Ochotonidae. It is found in the mountains of northeastern China in Inner Mongolia, specifically the Lesser and Greater Khingan ranges, as well as parts of Zabaykalsky Krai. It is rated as a species of least concern on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Endangered Species.

Taxonomy

The Manchurian pika was originally divided into different classifications based on its populations' distribution, with those in Russia described as alpine pikas and those elsewhere described as northern pikas. The species is on a whole closely related to both the northern pika and Hoffmann's pika. It is separated from the former despite their nearly-overlapping distributions by its large skull, relative to other pikas.

Subspecies

Three subspecies have been identified:Ochotona mantchurica mantchurica
This subspecies is restricted to the Greater Khingan Range and the northern part of the Lesser Khingan Range.Ochotona mantchurica scorodumovi
Also known as Skorodumov's pika, this subspecies is found in southeast Transbaikal.Ochotona mantchurica loukashkini
This subspecies is found in the southern part of the Lesser Khingan Range.

Description

The Manchurian pika is a pika of medium size. As an adult, its weight ranges from and its combined head and body length averages from. Typically, its fur is a reddish or ocherous brown, having a dark stripe along its upper back. Its winter coat is a greyish brown. It has rounded ears, which have a white margin around the edges. The Manchurian pika is distinguishable from the northern pika by its elevated mandibles.