Ochotona pallasi
Pallas's pika

Ochotona pallasi lives in the mountains of central Asia. It ranges from the southern parts of the Karkaralinsk Mountians south to Xinjiang, China (northeastern China). Ochotona pallasi is also found in the Altai Mountains north to Tuva in Russia. Pallas's pikas are mainly found in the country of Kazakhstan. (Wilson and Reeder, 1993)

Pallas's pikas live in mountain and steppe regions. They usually live in semi-arid areas, although they are also found in arid areas. Mean annual precipitation in these areas is approximately 130 mm. (Smirnov, 1974)

Some common plants that live in the steppes and mountains where Pallas’s pika lives are spiraea (Spiraea hypericifolia), yellow pea trees (Caragna pygmaes) and wild roses (Rosa spp.). (Smirnov, 1974)

Pallas's pikas are small mammals, from 175 to 200 g in weight and up to 25 cm long. They have short, rounded ears. Pallas's pikas change pelage color throughout the year. In the summer, they have a light color while in the winter the pelage becomes darker. ("Mongolian Pishchuha", 2006; Smirnov, 1974)

No information could be found about the lifespan of O. pallasi. In general, pikas have short lives, with a fairly low proportion reaching 1 year of age and probably reaching a maximum of 3 years old.

Pallas' pikas are diurnal and semi-fossorial. They emerge from their burrows at sunrise and return by dusk. During the day, Pallas' pikas burrow, gather food, eat, and socialize. During peak daylight hours, they lay near the mouth of the burrow with the head towards the hole, the nose elevated and the front feet slightly extended. Young bask in the sun more often than adults. (Smirnov, 1974)

Pallas' pikas are active during the winter and do not hibernate. (Retzer, 2006; Smirnov, 1974)

Pallas' pikas can be quite aggressive towards conspecifics. Young of the same litter will fight to the death. In the wild, the young usually disperse at this point. (Smirnov, 1974)

Home Range

Pallas' pikas are semi-fossorial and remain close to their burrow systems. Specific home range values are not reported.

Pallas' pikas communicate with scent markings. They have scent glands under their lower jaw, which in adults is a rust color. They use these scent glands to mark legdes and twigs. They also use high-pitched whistles to communicate with other pikas and to warn of the presence of predators. (Smirnov, 1974)

Pallas’s pikas are herbivorous. They eat grasses in the genera Stipa and Agopyron and spireas (Spiraea). They collect grasses and other forage and form "haystacks" inside their burrows, covering them with stones and scat. These collections of forage are saved for winter when there is little food. (Retzer, 2006; Smirnov, 1974)

Pallas’s pikas eat their herbaceous food to ground level. This gives them a competitive advantage over livestock because they can eat the whole plant, not just the top of it. Occasionally, Pallas’s pikas will engage in coprophagy. This is to maintain a balance of salt in their bodies when there's a lack of free water. (Retzer, 2006; Smirnov, 1974)

No information could be found about predators of O. pallasi. It is likely that raptors, snakes, and medium-sized mammalian predators prey on Pallas’s pikas. Pikas in general remain vigilant for predators and use high-pitched whistles to warn of predator presence. They also use their burrows and nests to avoid and escape predation.

Pallas's pikas are the most abundant small mammals in Gobi Guran Saykhan National Park. In parts of their range they co-occur with livestock, resulting in competition for forage. While pikas sometimes eat plants to soil level, they also aerate the soil through burrowing. Pallas's pikas are hosts for fleas, which carry the plague (Yersinia pestis) and other diseases. ("Innokenteva: Epizootological role of fleas in the Gorno-Altai natural plague focus (a review)", 2004; Retzer, 2006; Smirnov, 1974)

Pallas's pikas can be pests where they co-occur with livestock grazing. They are also carriers of fleas that carry Yersinia pestis altaica, which causes plague. ("Innokenteva: Epizootological role of fleas in the Gorno-Altai natural plague focus (a review)", 2004; Retzer, 2006)

Pallas's pikas have a positive impact on the ecosystems in which they live. Their burrow systems help to cycle soil nutrients, improving plant growth near the burrows. (Retzer, 2006)

Ochotona pallasi is considered at low risk or of least concern according to the IUCN Red List. It is not given protection under CITES. (Lagomorph Specialist Group 1996, 2006a)

The subspecies Ochotona pallasi sunidica is considered endangered and the population is expected to be reduced by half within the next ten years or three generations. The subspecies Ochotona pallasi hamica is considered critically endangered. There has been an 80% decrease in the population over the last ten years and it is continuing to decline. (Lagomorph Specialist Group 1996, 2006b; Lagomorph Specialist Group 1996, 2006c)