A pika ( , or ) is a small, mountain-dwelling

mammal A mammal () is a vertebrate animal of the Class (biology), class Mammalia (). Mammals are characterised by the presence of milk-producing mammary glands for feeding their young, a broad neocortex region of the brain, fur or hair, and three ...

native to Asia and North America. With short limbs, a very round body, an even coat of fur, and no external tail, they resemble their close relative the

rabbit Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae (which also includes the hares), which is in the order Lagomorpha (which also includes pikas). They are familiar throughout the world as a small herbivore, a prey animal, a domesticated ...

, but with short, rounded ears. The large-eared pika of the

Himalayas The Himalayas, or Himalaya ( ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the Earth's highest peaks, including the highest, Mount Everest. More than list of h ...

and nearby mountains lives at elevations of more than . The name ''pika'' appears to be derived from the Tungus ''pika'', and the scientific name ''Ochotona'' is derived from the Mongolian word ''ogotno, оготно'', which means pika. It is used for any member of the Ochotonidae (), a

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

within the order of

lagomorph The lagomorphs () are the members of the taxonomic order Lagomorpha, of which there are two living families: the Leporidae (rabbits and hares) and the Ochotonidae ( pikas). There are 110 recent species of lagomorph, of which 109 species in t ...

s, the order which also includes the

Leporidae Leporidae () is the family of rabbits and hares, containing over 70 species of extant mammals in all. The family name comes from "Lepus", hare in Latin. Together with the pikas, the Leporidae constitute the mammalian order Lagomorpha. Leporidae ...

(rabbits and

hare Hares and jackrabbits are mammals belonging to the genus ''Lepus''. They are herbivores and live Solitary animal, solitarily or in pairs. They nest in slight depressions called forms, and their young are precociality, able to fend for themselves ...

s). They are the smallest animal in the lagomorph group. Only one

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

, ''Ochotona'' ( or ), is extant within the family, covering 37

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

, though many fossil genera are known. Another species, the Sardinian pika, belonging to the separate genus '' Prolagus'', has become extinct within the last 2,000 years owing to human activity. Pikas prefer rocky slopes and graze on a range of plants, primarily grasses, flowers, and young stems. In the autumn, they pull hay, soft twigs, and other stores of food under rocks to eat during the long, cold winter. The pika is also known as the whistling hare because of its high-pitched alarm call it gives when alarmed. The two species found in North America are the American pika, found primarily in the mountains of the western United States and far southwestern Canada, and the collared pika of northern

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

, the

Yukon Yukon () is a Provinces and territories of Canada, territory of Canada, bordering British Columbia to the south, the Northwest Territories to the east, the Beaufort Sea to the north, and the U.S. state of Alaska to the west. It is Canada’s we ...

, western

Northwest Territories The Northwest Territories is a federal Provinces and territories of Canada, territory of Canada. At a land area of approximately and a 2021 census population of 41,070, it is the second-largest and the most populous of Provinces and territorie ...

and

Alaska Alaska ( ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the north ...

Habitat

Pikas are native to cold climates in

Asia Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...

and

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...

. Most species live on rocky mountainsides, where numerous crevices are available for their shelter, although some pikas also construct crude burrows. A few burrowing species are native to open

steppe In physical geography, a steppe () is an ecoregion characterized by grassland plains without closed forests except near rivers and lakes. Steppe biomes may include: * the montane grasslands and shrublands biome * the tropical and subtropica ...

land. In the mountains of

Eurasia Eurasia ( , ) is a continental area on Earth, comprising all of Europe and Asia. According to some geographers, Physical geography, physiographically, Eurasia is a single supercontinent. The concept of Europe and Asia as distinct continents d ...

, pikas often share their burrows with

snowfinch Snowfinches are a monophyly, natural group of small passerine birds in the sparrow family Passeridae. At one time all eight species were placed in the genus ''Montifringilla'' but they are now divided into three genera: * ''Montifringilla'' (3 spec ...

es, which build their nests there. Changing temperatures have forced some pika populations to restrict their ranges to even higher elevations.

Characteristics

Pikas are small mammals, with short limbs and rounded ears. They are about in body length and weigh between , depending on species. These animals are

herbivore A herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically evolved to feed on plants, especially upon vascular tissues such as foliage, fruits or seeds, as the main component of its diet. These more broadly also encompass animals that eat ...

s and feed on a wide variety of plant matter, including

forb A forb or phorb is a herbaceous flowering plant that is not a graminoid (grass, sedge, or rush). The term is used in botany and in vegetation ecology especially in relation to grasslands and understory. Typically, these are eudicots without woo ...

s, grasses, sedges, shrub twigs, moss and lichens. Easily digestible food is processed in the gastrointestinal tract and expelled as regular feces. But in order to get nutrients out of hard to digest fiber, pika ferment fiber in the cecum (in the GI tract) and then expel the contents as

cecotrope Cecotropes (also caecotropes, cecotrophs, caecotrophs, cecal pellets, soft feces, or night feces) are a nutrient-filled package created in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract that is expelled and eaten by many animals (such as rabbits, guinea pigs, ...

s, which are reingested ( cecotrophy). The cecotropes are then absorbed in the small intestine to utilize the nutrients. Collared pikas have been known to store dead birds in their burrows for food during winter and eat the feces of other animals. As with other lagomorphs, pikas have gnawing

incisor Incisors (from Latin ''incidere'', "to cut") are the front teeth present in most mammals. They are located in the premaxilla above and on the mandible below. Humans have a total of eight (two on each side, top and bottom). Opossums have 18, wher ...

s and no canines, although they have fewer

molars The molars or molar teeth are large, flat tooth, teeth at the back of the mouth. They are more developed in mammal, mammals. They are used primarily to comminution, grind food during mastication, chewing. The name ''molar'' derives from Latin, '' ...

than rabbits. They have a

dental formula Dentition pertains to the development of teeth and their arrangement in the mouth. In particular, it is the characteristic arrangement, kind, and number of teeth in a given species at a given age. That is, the number, type, and morpho-physiology ...

of = 26. Another similarity that pikas share with other lagomorphs is that the bottom of their paws are covered with fur and lack paw pads. Rock-dwelling pikas have small litters of fewer than five young, whilst the burrowing species tend to give birth to more young and to breed more frequently, possibly owing to a greater availability of resources in their native habitats. The young are born altricial (eyes and ears closed, no fur) after a

gestation Gestation is the period of development during the carrying of an embryo, and later fetus, inside viviparous animals (the embryo develops within the parent). It is typical for mammals, but also occurs for some non-mammals. Mammals during pregn ...

period of between 25 and 30 days.

Activity

Pikas are active during daylight ( diurnal) or twilight hours (

crepuscular In zoology, a crepuscular animal is one that is active primarily during the twilight period, being matutinal (active during dawn), vespertine (biology), vespertine/vespertinal (active during dusk), or both. This is distinguished from diurnalit ...

), with higher-elevation species generally being more active during the daytime. They show their peak activity just before the winter season. Pikas do not hibernate and remain active throughout the winter by traveling in tunnels under rocks and snow and eating dried plants that they have stored. Rock-dwelling pikas exhibit two methods of foraging: the first involves direct consumption of food, and the second is characterized by the gathering of plants to store in a "haypile" of cached plants. The impact of human activity on the

tundra In physical geography, a tundra () is a type of biome where tree growth is hindered by frigid temperatures and short growing seasons. There are three regions and associated types of tundra: #Arctic, Arctic, Alpine tundra, Alpine, and #Antarctic ...

ecosystems where pikas live has been recorded dating back to the 1970s. Rather than hibernate during winter, pikas forage for grasses and other forms of plant matter and stash these findings in protected dens in a process called "haying". They eat the dried plants during the winter. When pikas mistake humans as predators, they may respond to humans as they do to other species that do prey on pikas. Such interactions with humans have been linked to pikas having reduced amounts of foraging time, consequentially limiting the amount of food they can stockpile for winter months. Pikas prefer foraging in temperatures below , so they generally spend their time in shaded regions and out of direct sunlight when temperatures are high. A link has also been found between temperature increases and lost foraging time, where for every increase of to the ambient temperature in alpine landscapes home to pikas, those pikas lose 3% of their foraging time. Eurasian pikas commonly live in family groups and share duties of gathering food and keeping watch. Some species are territorial. North American pikas ('' O. princeps'' and '' O. collaris'') are asocial, leading solitary lives outside the breeding season.

Vocalization

Pikas have distinct calls, which vary in duration. The call can be short and quick, a little longer and more drawn out or long songs. The short calls are an example of geographic variation. The pikas determine the appropriate time to make short calls by listening for cues for sound localization. The calls are used for individual recognition, predator warning signals, territory defense, or as a way to attract potential mates. There are also different calls depending on the season. In the spring the songs become more frequent during the breeding season. In late summer the vocalizations become short calls. Through various studies, the acoustic characteristics of the vocalizations can be a useful taxonomic tool.

Lifespan

The average lifespan of pikas in the wild is roughly seven years. A pika's age may be determined by the number of adhesion lines on the periosteal bone on the lower jaw. The lifespan does not differ between the sexes.

Species

The 29 extant species currently recognized are: * Order Lagomorpha ** Family Ochotonidae: pikas *** Genus ''Ochotona'' **** Subgenus ''Conothoa'': mountain pikas ***** Chinese red pika, ''O. erythrotis'' ***** Forrest's pika, ''O. forresti'' ***** Glover's pika, ''O. gloveri'' ***** Ili pika, ''O. iliensis'' ***** Koslov's pika, ''O. koslowi'' ***** Ladak pika, ''O. ladacensis'' ***** Large-eared pika, ''O. macrotis'' ***** Royle's pika, ''O. roylei'' ***** Turkestan red pika, ''O. rutila'' ****Subgenus ''Ochotona'': shrub-steppe pikas ***** Gansu pika or gray pika, ''O. cansus'' ***** Plateau pika or black-lipped pika, ''O. curzoniae'' ***** Daurian pika, ''O. dauurica'' ***** Nubra pika, ''O. nubrica'' ***** Steppe pika, ''O. pusilla'' ***** Afghan pika, ''O. rufescens'' ***** Tsing-ling pika, ''O. syrinx'' ***** Moupin pika, ''O. thibetana'' ***** Thomas's pika, ''O. thomasi'' ****Subgenus ''Pika'': northern pikas ***** Alpine pika or Altai pika, ''O. alpina'' ***** Helan Shan pika or silver pika, ''O. argentata'' ***** Collared pika, ''O. collaris'' ***** Korean pika, ''O. coreana'' ***** Hoffmann's pika, ''O. hoffmanni'' ***** Northern pika or Siberian pika, ''O. hyperborea'' ***** Manchurian pika, ''O. mantchurica'' ***** Kazakh pika, ''O. opaca'' ***** Pallas's pika, ''O. pallasii'' ***** American pika, ''O. princeps'' ***** Turuchan pika, ''O. turuchanensis''

Extinct species

Many fossil forms of ''Ochotona'' are described in the literature, from the

Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first epoch (geology), geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and mea ...

epoch to the early

Holocene The Holocene () is the current geologic time scale, geological epoch, beginning approximately 11,700 years ago. It follows the Last Glacial Period, which concluded with the Holocene glacial retreat. The Holocene and the preceding Pleistocene to ...

(

extinct Extinction is the termination of an organism by the death of its Endling, last member. A taxon may become Functional extinction, functionally extinct before the death of its last member if it loses the capacity to Reproduction, reproduce and ...

species) and present (16.4-0 Ma). They lived in Europe, Asia, and North America.Some species listed below are common for Eurasia and North America (''O. gromovi'', ''O. tologoica'', ''O. zazhigini'', and probably ''O. whartoni''). * Eurasia ** large forms *** †'' Ochotona chowmincheni'' (

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

: Baode area, late Miocene) *** †'' Ochotona gromovi'' (

Pliocene The Pliocene ( ; also Pleiocene) is the epoch (geology), epoch in the geologic time scale that extends from 5.33 to 2.58 *** †'' Ochotona gudrunae'' (China:

Shanxi Shanxi; Chinese postal romanization, formerly romanised as Shansi is a Provinces of China, province in North China. Its capital and largest city of the province is Taiyuan, while its next most populated prefecture-level cities are Changzhi a ...

, early

Pleistocene The Pleistocene ( ; referred to colloquially as the ''ice age, Ice Age'') is the geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from to 11,700 years ago, spanning the Earth's most recent period of repeated glaciations. Before a change was fin ...

) *** †'' Ochotona guizhongensis'' (

Tibet Tibet (; ''Böd''; ), or Greater Tibet, is a region in the western part of East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are other ethnic groups s ...

, late Miocene) *** †'' Ochotona lagreli'' (China:

Inner Mongolia Inner Mongolia, officially the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, is an Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of China. Its border includes two-thirds of the length of China's China–Mongolia border, border with the country of Mongolia. ...

, late Miocene to late Pliocene) *** †'' Ochotona magna'' (China, early Pleistocene) *** †'' Ochotona tologoica'' ( Transbaikalia, Pliocene, see also North America) *** †'' Ochotona transcaucasica'' (

Transcaucasia The South Caucasus, also known as Transcaucasia or the Transcaucasus, is a geographical region on the border of Eastern Europe and West Asia, straddling the southern Caucasus Mountains. The South Caucasus roughly corresponds to modern Armenia, ...

: eastern

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

and

Azerbaijan Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, is a Boundaries between the continents, transcontinental and landlocked country at the boundary of West Asia and Eastern Europe. It is a part of the South Caucasus region and is bounded by ...

, Transbaikal and probably southern Europe, early to late Pleistocene) *** †'' Ochotona ursui'' (

Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...

, Pliocene) *** †'' Ochotona zasuchini'' (Transbaikalia, Pleistocene) *** †'' Ochotona zazhigini'' (Asia, Pliocene, see also North America) *** †'' Ochotona zhangi'' (China, Pleistocene) **medium-sized forms *** †'' Ochotona agadjianiani'' (Asia, Pliocene) *** †'' Ochotona antiqua'' (

Moldavia Moldavia (, or ; in Romanian Cyrillic alphabet, Romanian Cyrillic: or ) is a historical region and former principality in Eastern Europe, corresponding to the territory between the Eastern Carpathians and the Dniester River. An initially in ...

Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...

, and the

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

n Plain,

Caucasus The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region spanning Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is situated between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, comprising parts of Southern Russia, Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. The Caucasus Mountains, i ...

, and probably

Rhodes Rhodes (; ) is the largest of the Dodecanese islands of Greece and is their historical capital; it is the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, ninth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Administratively, the island forms a separ ...

, late Miocene to Pliocene) *** †'' Ochotona azerica'' (Transcaucasia: Azerbaijan, middle Pliocene) *** †'' Ochotona lingtaica'' (Asia, Pliocene) *** †'' Ochotona dodogolica'' (Asia: western Transbaikalia, Pleistocene) *** †'' Ochotona nihewanica'' (China:

Hebei Hebei is a Provinces of China, province in North China. It is China's List of Chinese administrative divisions by population, sixth-most populous province, with a population of over 75 million people. Shijiazhuang is the capital city. It bor ...

, early Pleistocene) *** †'' Ochotona plicodenta'' (Asia, Pliocene) *** †'' Ochotona polonica'' (Europe:

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

, Pliocene) ** small-sized forms *** †'' Ochotona bazarovi'' (Asia, upper Pliocene) *** †'' Ochotona dehmi'' (Germany: Schernfeld, Pleistocene) *** †'' Ochotona filippovi'' (

Siberia Siberia ( ; , ) is an extensive geographical region comprising all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has formed a part of the sovereign territory of Russia and its predecessor states ...

, Pleistocene) *** †'' Ochotona gracilis'' (Asia, Pliocene) *** †'' Ochotona horaceki'' (

Slovakia Slovakia, officially the Slovak Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the west, and the Czech Republic to the northwest. Slovakia's m ...

: Honce, Pleistocene) *** †'' Ochotona minor'' (China, late Miocene) *** †'' Ochotona sibirica'' (Asia, Pliocene) *** †'' Ochotona valerotae'' (

: Valerots site, Pleistocene) *** †'' Ochotona youngi'' (Asia, Pliocene)
and others. ** other examples *** †'' Ochotona agadzhaniani'' (Transcaucasia:

Armenia Armenia, officially the Republic of Armenia, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of West Asia. It is a part of the Caucasus region and is bordered by Turkey to the west, Georgia (country), Georgia to the north and Azerbaijan to ...

, Pliocene) *** †'' Ochotona alaica'' (Asia:

Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan, officially the Kyrgyz Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Asia lying in the Tian Shan and Pamir Mountains, Pamir mountain ranges. Bishkek is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Kyrgyzstan, largest city. Kyrgyz ...

, Pleistocene) *** † ''Ochotona'' (''Proochotona'') ''eximia'' (

Moldova Moldova, officially the Republic of Moldova, is a Landlocked country, landlocked country in Eastern Europe, with an area of and population of 2.42 million. Moldova is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. ...

, Ukraine, Russia,

Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a landlocked country primarily in Central Asia, with a European Kazakhstan, small portion in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the Kazakhstan–Russia border, north and west, China to th ...

, Miocene to Pliocene) *** † ''Ochotona'' (''Proochotona'') ''gigas'' (Ukraine, Pliocene) *** †'' Ochotona gureevi'' (Transbaikalia, middle Pliocene) *** †'' Ochotona hengduanshanensis'' (China, Pleistocene) *** †'' Ochotona intermedia'' (Asia, Pliocene) *** † ''Ochotona'' (''Proochotona'') ''kalfaense'' (Europe:

, Miocene) *** † ''Ochotona'' (''Proochotona'') ''kirgisica'' (Asia: Kyrgyzstan, Pliocene) *** †'' Ochotona kormosi'' (

Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...

, Pleistocene) *** † ''Ochotona'' (''Proochotona'') ''kurdjukovi'' (Asia: Kyrgyzstan, Pliocene) *** †'' Ochotona largerli'' (Georgia, Pleistocene) *** †'' Ochotona lazari'' (Ukraine, Pleistocene) *** †'' Ochotona mediterranensis'' (

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

, Pliocene) *** †'' Ochotona ozansoyi'' (Turkey, Miocene) *** †'' Ochotona pseudopusilla'' (Ukraine and Russian Plain, Pleistocene) *** †'' Ochotona spelaeus'' (Ukraine, late Pleistocene) *** †'' Ochotona tedfordi'' (China: Yushe Basin, late Miocene) *** †'' Ochotona cf. whartoni'' (

Irkutsk Oblast Irkutsk Oblast (; ) is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (an oblast), located in southeastern Siberia in the basins of the Angara River, Angara, Lena River, Lena, and Nizhnyaya Tunguska Rivers. The administrative center is ...

and

Yakutia Sakha, officially the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), is a republics of Russia, republic of Russia, and the largest federal subject of Russia by area. It is located in the Russian Far East, along the Arctic Ocean, with a population of one million ...

, Pleistocene, see also North America) *** †'' Ochotona zabiensis'' (southern

, early Pleistocene) *** †''Ochotona'' sp. (

Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...

Maritsa Maritsa or Maritza ( ), also known as Evros ( ) and Meriç ( ), is a river that runs through the Balkans in Southeast Europe. With a length of ,

, Pliocene) *** †''Ochotona'' sp. (Hungary: Ostramos, Pleistocene) *** †''Ochotona'' sp. (Siberia, Pleistocene) *** †''Ochotona'' sp. (Yakutia, Pleistocene) * North America ** †'' Ochotona gromovi'' ( US:

Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...

, Pliocene, see also Eurasia) ** †'' Ochotona spanglei'' (US, late Miocene or early Pliocene) ** †'' Ochotona tologoica'' (US: Colorado, Pliocene, see also Eurasia) ** †''Ochotona whartoni'' ( giant pika, US,

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

, Pleistocene to early Holocene, see also Eurasia) ** †'' Ochotona wheatleyi'' (US:

, Pliocene, late Pleistocene) ** †'' Ochotona zazhigini'' (US: Colorado, Pleistocene, see also Eurasia) ** extinct small pikas similar to the '' O. pusilla'' group (Pleistocene) Paleontologists have also described multiple forms of pika not referred to specific species (''Ochotona'' indet.) or not certainly identified (''O.''

cf. The abbreviation cf. (short for either Latin or , both meaning 'compare') is generally used in writing to refer the reader to other material to make a comparison with the topic being discussed. However some sources offer differing or even contr ...

''antiqua'', ''O.'' cf. ''cansus'', ''O.'' cf. ''daurica'', ''O.'' cf. ''eximia'', ''O.'' cf. ''gromovi'', ''O.'' cf. ''intermedia'', ''O.'' cf. ''koslowi'', ''O.'' cf. ''lagrelii'', ''O.'' cf. ''nihewanica''). The statuses of ''Ochotona'' (''Proochotona'') ''kirgisica'' and ''O. spelaeus'' are uncertain. The "''pusilla''" group of pikas is characterized by archaic (

plesiomorphic In phylogenetics, a plesiomorphy ("near form") and symplesiomorphy are synonyms for an ancestral character shared by all members of a clade, which does not distinguish the clade from other clades. Plesiomorphy, symplesiomorphy, apomorphy, an ...

) cheek teeth and small size. The North American species migrated from Eurasia. They invaded the New World twice: * ''O. spanglei'' during the latest Miocene or early Pliocene, followed by a roughly three-million-year-long gap in the known North American pika record *''O. whartoni'' (giant pika) and small pikas via the

Bering Land Bridge Beringia is defined today as the land and maritime area bounded on the west by the Lena River in Russia; on the east by the Mackenzie River in Canada; on the north by 72° north latitude in the Chukchi Sea; and on the south by the tip of the ...

during the earliest Pleistocene ''Ochotona''

''whartoni'' and small pikas of the ''O. pusilla'' group are also known from Siberia. The extant,

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

North American species appeared in the Pleistocene. The North American collared pika (''O. collaris'') and American pika (''O. princeps'') have been suggested to have descended from the same ancestor as the steppe pika (''O. pusilla''). The range of ''Ochotona'' was larger in the past, with both extinct and extant species inhabiting Western Europe and Eastern North America, areas that are currently free of pikas. Pleistocene fossils of the extant steppe pika ''O. pusilla'' currently native to Asia have been found also in many countries of Europe from the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

to Russia and from

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

to Poland, and the Asiatic extant northern pika ''O. hyperborea'' in one location in the middle Pleistocene United States. Pika Ochotona sp

While ''Ochotona'' is the only currently living genus of Ochotonidae, extinct

genera Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family as used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In binomial nomenclature, the genus name forms the first part of the binomial s ...

of ochotonids include †'' Albertona'', †'' Alloptox'', †'' Amphilagus'', †'' Australagomys'', †'' Austrolagomys'', †'' Bellatona'', †'' Bellatonoides'', †'' Bohlinotona'', †'' Cuyamalagus'', †'' Desmatolagus'', †'' Eurolagus'', †'' Gripholagomys'', †'' Gymnesicolagus'', †'' Hesperolagomys'', †'' Heterolagus'', †'' Kenyalagomys'', †'' Lagopsis'', †'' Marcuinomys'', †'' Ochotonoides'', †'' Ochotonoma'', †'' Oklahomalagus'', †'' Oreolagus'', †'' Paludotona'', †'' Piezodus'', †'' Plicalagus'', †'' Pliolagomys'', †'' Prolagus'', †'' Proochotona'' ( syn. ''Ochotona''), †'' Pseudobellatona'', †'' Ptychoprolagus'', †'' Russellagus'', †'' Sinolagomys'', †'' Titanomys'' and †'' Tonomochota''. The earliest one is ''Desmatolagus'' (middle Eocene to Miocene, 42.5–14.8 Ma), usually included in the Ochotonidae, sometimes in

or in neither ochotonid nor leporid stem- lagomorphs. Ochotonids appeared in Asia between the late Eocene and the early Oligocene, and continued to develop along with increased distribution of C₃ grasses in previously forest dominated areas under the "climatic optimum" from the late Oligocene to middle Miocene. They thrived in Eurasia, North America, and even Africa. The peak of their diversity occurred during the period from the early Miocene to middle Miocene. Most of them became extinct during the transition from the Miocene to Pliocene, which was accompanied by an increase in diversity of the '' leporids''. It has been proposed that this switch between ochotonids and larger leporids was caused by expansion of C₄ plants (particularly the

Poaceae Poaceae ( ), also called Gramineae ( ), is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of monocotyledonous flowering plants commonly known as grasses. It includes the cereal grasses, bamboos, the grasses of natural grassland and species cultivate ...

) related to global cooling in the late Miocene, since extant pikas reveal a strong preference for C₃ plants (

Asteraceae Asteraceae () is a large family (biology), family of flowering plants that consists of over 32,000 known species in over 1,900 genera within the Order (biology), order Asterales. The number of species in Asteraceae is rivaled only by the Orchi ...

Rosaceae Rosaceae (), the rose family, is a family of flowering plants that includes 4,828 known species in 91 genera. The name is derived from the type genus '' Rosa''. The family includes herbs, shrubs, and trees. Most species are deciduous, but som ...

, and

Fabaceae Fabaceae () or Leguminosae,International Code of Nomen ...

, many of them C₃). Replacement of large areas of forests by open grassland first started probably in North America and is called sometimes "nature's green revolution".

Notes

References

Additional references of the Paleobiology Database

External links

The trek of the pika
by Michael Morris, Parks Canada, Mount Revelstoke and Glacier National Parks. (includes sound file) {{Authority control Extant Burdigalian first appearances Taxa named by Johann Heinrich Friedrich Link