Ochotona curzoniae
black-lipped pika

Black-lipped pikas are found in the Alpine meadows and steppes of the Tibetan plateau in the Chang Taung region of the People’s Republic of China. (Schaller, 1998)

Ochotona curzoniae prefers to make burrows in flat to gently sloping terrain and silty to sandy-soiled meadow lands with few rocks and good drainage at elevations up to 5300 meters. (Schaller, 1998)

Black-lipped pikas are small, chunky, and lack a conspicuous tail. They have characteristic black lips and thick fur which is brown to reddish tan on the dorsal side and light gray on the ventral side. There is no sexual dimorphism in size or coloration and it is difficult to determine males from females by the external genitalia. (Dobson, et al., 2000; Schaller, 1998)

Black-lipped pikas employ several mating systems. Most commonly, black-lipped pikas live in monogamous family groups made up of and adult male and female, juveniles, and younger animals. Both polygamy and polyandry have been recorded among O. curzoniae; this most commonly happens when an adult black-lipped pika dies and its mate joins another family group. Promiscuity has also been observed, though it is not common. (Dobson, et al., 1998; Dobson, et al., 2000; Smith and Gao, 1991; Smith, 1988)

Female black-lipped pikas breed and produce litters every three weeks during summer months. As the summer continues, more food becomes available and each successive litter becomes larger throughout the summer. During the mating season, there is intense male-male competition for females. Once family groups are formed, intergroup aggression keeps families together. Also, social interaction via grooming, boxing, communication and other contact helps to maintain social relationships. Communication reaches its peak during the weaning period of a new litter so that juveniles maintain strong social bonds with each other and their parents. Female O. curzoniae can, and often do, breed within the same summer of their own birth.

It was once thought that black-lipped pikas practiced a great deal of inbreeding to maintain family ties. However, it has since been discovered that roughly 97% of males leave their family range during the spring just before mating season. These males usually move to neighboring family groups. Some females also disperse from their natal family groups to join neighboring ones. This behavior helps to reduce the negative effects of inbreeding; however, the most successful matings usually occur between family members. (Dobson, et al., 1998; Dobson, et al., 2000; Schaller, 1998; Smith and Gao, 1991; Smith, 1988)

One unusual feature about O. curzoniae is that males invest heavily in offspring. Their behaviors consist of vigilance and awareness of the surroundings. They look out for potential predators as well as help maintain home range boundaries. The majority of juvenile-adult interactions occur with adult males rather than the females.

Females have limited interactions with offspring outside of nursing. A mother spends the majority of her time foraging so that she can provide enough energy to feed her young and prepare for the next litter, which quickly follows.

After three weeks, the offspring are weaned and go through a period of learning, generally with an adult male. The litters usually remain with their family for the first winter and disperse in spring before the reproductive season. (Dobson, et al., 1998; Dobson, et al., 2000; Smith and Gao, 1991; Smith, 1988)

The life expectancy of O. curzoniae is short because this species faces harsh winters and high parasitosis. Few members of each family group survive to the next spring. About 15.7% survive to breed during first year after birth, and only 1.5% survive to breed during their second year. (Smith and Gao, 1991; Wang and Dai, 1989)

Black-lipped pika families usually consist of one adult male, one adult female and 5-10 juveniles from at least 2 litters. They live in burrows comprising several tunnels and entrances. These allow a wide foraging area and quick access to protection from predators. Burrows also have many openings to above ground latrines. Tunnels can stretch for over 800 cm and are generally 20-40 cm below the turf.

Burrow and family structures are more cohesive on the plateau meadow lands than they are on the plateau desert. It is suggested that the greater abundance of food on the meadow makes it easier for a large family to live together without competing for resources. Families are generally territorial, and males chase off members of other families.

Females spend over 62% of their time foraging to maintain the high energy level necessary for almost constant gestation and lactation. Once weaning occurs, it is the males that interact with the juveniles during the learning process leading up to adulthood. Males also protect and maintain the burrow and home range of the family.

Ochotona curzoniae does not hibernate even during harsh winters. Foraging activity usually begins at sunrise and. Black-lipped pikas remain active periodically throughout much of the day. (Dobson, et al., 1998; Schaller, 1998; Smith and Gao, 1991; Smith, 1988)

Ochotona curzoniae average adult home range is about 1000 square meters with the juvenile range about 900 square meters. (Smith and Gao, 1991)

Black-lipped pikas communicate with family members by grooming, boxing and other contact to maintain social bonds. There is also frequent vocal communication informing the family of potential threats. (Dobson, et al., 1998; Smith and Gao, 1991; Smith, 1988)

Black-lipped pikas spend the majority of their time foraging for food. Those that live in meadows can store large amounts of forage in hay piles, for later consumption. Desert dwelling O. curzoniae cannot easily create hay stores because high winds blow it away, and less cohesive social structures make it more difficult to protect caches. (Schaller, 1998; Smith and Gao, 1991; Smith, 1988)

Ochotona curzoniae are preyed upon by birds of prey, including common kestrels (Falco tinnunculus), black kites (Milvus lineatus), upland buzzards (Buteo hemilasius), and weasels and polecats (Mustela). They avoid predation primarily through their vigilance, cryptic coloration, and tendency to remain under cover of foliage or rocks when active. (Lai and Smith, 2003; Schaller, 1998)

Black-lipped pikas feed on seeds, and they disperse those seeds to some extent. However, since they have a limited home range, the seeds are not dispersed far from where they were collected. They are reservoirs for parasitic species such as fleas. Poisoning of Ochotona curzoniae by local people to reduce the destruction created by burrows has lead to the death of several bird species, for example Montifringilla and Pyrgilauda as well as Pseudopodoces humilis>. These birds are known to nest in black-lipped pika burrows and are harmed by the poison used to cull the pika population. (Lai and Smith, 2003; Schaller, 1998)

Ochotona curzoniae in low densities eat the foods untouched by livestock, and their excrement fertilizes the plants that livestock do eat. (Schaller, 1998)

Black-lipped pikas have been blamed for soil erosion caused by burrowing and also for eating the vegetation normally fed upon by livestock. Generally, soil erosion is present before burrows have been created. At high densities, O. curzoniae populations do compete with livestock for vegetation. (Schaller, 1998)

Pastoralists have used zinc phosphate to poison black-lipped pikas in hopes of reducing competition with livestock for vegetation. These pikas are not currently threatened, but further persecution and habitat changes may threaten populations in the future. (Schaller, 1998)