By Brianne Ordway
Geographic Range
Ochotona pusilla is distributed in central Eurasia from the Volga River and southern Ural Mountains in the north to the Irtysh River on the south side of its range. Two countries, Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation, contain all populations of this species. (International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, 2002; Nowak, 1995)
Biogeographic Regions:
palearctic 
.
Habitat
Steppe pikas are found in temperate steppe grasslands where they excavate burrows for shelter. The grassland vegetation consists of dense, lush grasses and occasional bushes. (International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, 2002; Nowak, 1995)
These animals are found in the following types of habitat:
temperate ; terrestrial .
Terrestrial Biomes:
savanna or grassland .
Physical Description
(5.91 in)
The average length of O. pusilla is 15 cm. Although the weight of this species is not reported, the members of the genus are known to be 125 to 400 g. Males and females are the same size, and the two are difficult to distinguish. They have the same fur coloring: grayish brown on the back and white on the belly. The tail is not visible. The head is short, with ears that are small and rounded. All four legs are approximately the same length, although the back are slightly longer than the front pair. The five fingers and toes on each foot are well insulated by a dense covering of fur on the bottom of the feet. They have twenty-six teeth. (Geobopological Survey, 2000; Nowak, 1995; Nowak, 1999)
Some key physical features:
endothermic ; bilateral symmetry .
Sexual dimorphism: sexes alike.
Reproduction
Steppe pikas breed 3 to 5 times during the spring and summer.
The breeding season spans the spring and summer months.
This information is not known for this species. However, other species in the genus appear to be monogamous or polygynous, with males extending territories to overlap those of one or more females during the breeding season. Some species may be gregarious, living in colonies through much of the year. However, this information seems to be suspect, and the colonies that have been viewed may really represent family groups. (Nowak, 1999)
Mating systems:
monogamous ; polygynous .
Steppe pika litter sizes range from one to thirteen, averaging between eight and nine. An adult female may produce three to five litters per year during the spring and summer. Male pikas reach sexual maturity at one year of age while a female can mature in four to five weeks and have up to three litters by autumn. (International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, 2002; Nowak, 1995)
Gestation period for O. pusilla has not been reported, but is probably similar to the 30 days reported for other species in the genus. Weaning in other Ochotona species is reported to occur by 30 days of age. (Nowak, 1999)
Newborn picas are reported to weigh about 9 g. They are naked and helpless at birth, but grow quickly. In some species, the young are ready to disperse by approximately 30 days of age. (Nowak, 1999)
Key reproductive features:
iteroparous ; seasonal breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; fertilization ; viviparous .
The extent of parental care in steppe pikas includes mothers nursing their offspring, and providing protection for them in the form of a burrow. After being weaned, the young will be forced to fend for themselves. (Nowak, 1995)
Parental investment:
no parental involvement; altricial ; pre-fertilization (protecting: female); pre-hatching/birth (provisioning: female, protecting: female); pre-weaning/fledging (provisioning: female, protecting: female); pre-independence (provisioning: female, protecting: female).
Lifespan/Longevity
No information for lifespan/longevity is available on this species, but in O. princeps the maximum lifespan is 7 years. Because O. pusilla has a much higer reproductive rate, it is likely that they do not live as long as this other species in their genus. (Nowak, 1999)
Behavior
Ochotona pusilla may be active at any time of day or night. This species is unique because unlike most other pikas, it is often nocturnal and will call throughout the night. (Nowak, 1995)
Steppe pikas do not hibernate. They are active throughout the winter. On darker days when there is a layer of snow and the wind speed is low, they will climb to the surface and forage for food which is buried by the snow. They do not rely on their cache of grass to last them through the winter. (Nikol'skii, Roschina, and Soroka, 2000)
This species is reported to be gregarious. Large colonies and family groups are common among steppe pikas. However, the extent of social interactions within the species is not known. The population densities of this species vary from 0.1/ha to 80/ha. (Nowak, 1995; Nowak, 1999)
Home Range
Home range size has not been reported for this species.
Communication and Perception
Ochotona pusilla emit vocalizations which sound like a whistle. In some languages the translation of pika to English means "Whistling Hare". It is likely that there is some form of tactile communication, especially between mother and young and between mates. (Nowak, 1995)
Other communication keywords:
scent marks .
Food Habits
The diet of a steppe pika consists primarily of different types of grasses. They will cache dried grass in "haystacks." Individuals are reported to sometimes "raid" the haystacks of others. These caches of food are not enough to sustain an individual over the winter, so these animals are forced to forage at all times of the year. (Nikol'skii, Roschina, and Soroka, 2000; Nowak, 1995; Nowak, 1999)
Plant Foods:
leaves; seeds, grains, and nuts.
Foraging Behaviors:
stores or caches food .
Predation
No information is available for rates of predation on this species. However, based on their explosive reproduction, O. pusilla is likely an important food item for a variety of carnivores and birds of prey.
Ecosystem Roles
Although no specific predators were mentioned in any of the literature, one can hypothesize O. pusilla is a prey species due to the fact it is a small herbivore with explosive population growth potential. Because of their foraging behavior, it is likely that they have some impact on vegetational growth. (Nowak, 1995; Nowak, 1999)
Economic Importance for Humans: Negative
There are no known adverse affects of O.pusilla on humans.
Economic Importance for Humans: Positive
Ochotona pusilla is of little economic importance for humans due to the remoteness of the areas occupied by this species. (Nowak, 1995)
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List: [link]:
Vulnerable.
US Federal List: [link]:
No special status.
CITES: [link]:
No special status.
Ochotona pusilla is protected in at least one protected nature reserve, the Orenburgskiy reserve in the Belayevskiy region of Orenburg area, the South Urals. (Nikol'skii, Roschina, and Soroka, 2000)
The steppe pika is listed on the IUCN Red List as vulnerable but it is not protected under CITES. (International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, 2002)
Other Comments
The history of O. pusilla can be traced back to the end of the Pliocene where it originated in Asia. At the end of the Pleistocene this species had a much wider range than it does today because steppes were more widespread. The species is currently restricted to steppe environments. Because of this, the species has lost a lot of habitat when humans have moved into their range. (Erbajeva, 2001)
For More Information
Find Ochotona pusilla information at
Contributors
Nancy Shefferly (editor), Animal Diversity Web Staff.
Brianne Ordway (author), University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
Chris Yahnke (editor), University of Wisconsin Stevens Point.
