Ochotona rufescens (Gray, 1842)

Don E. Wilson, Thomas E. Lacher, Jr & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2016, Ochotonidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 6 Lagomorphs and Rodents I, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 28-43 : 41

22.

Afghan Pika

Ochotona rufescens

French: Pika afghan / German: Afghanistan-Pfeifhase / Spanish: Pica de Afganistan

Other common names: Kopet Dag Afghan Pika (regina), Shurukov's Afghan Pika (shukurovi)

Taxonomy. Lagomys rufescens Gray, 1842 ,

“India, Cabul, Rocky Hills near Baker Tomb, at about 6000 or 8000 feet elevation,” Kabul, Afghanistan.

According to mtDNA and nDNA, O. rufescens belongs to subgenus Conothoa. Because it has a distribution disjunct from other pikas and has an easily recognizable pelage color, there is no taxonomic confusion concerning this species. Taxon seiana is often included in synonymy of this species, since its holotype originated from Seistan that is only inhabited by O. rufescens . Nevertheless, the holotype of seiana is actually O. curzoniae . Mostlikely, the specimen was mislabeled during shipment to Natural History Museum in London. According to morphological study, O. rufescens includes regina, shukurovi, vizier, and vulturna. Provisionally three subspecies are recognized here, but subspecific designation requires further evaluation.

Subspecies and Distribution.

O.r.rufescensGray,1842—AfghanistanandPakistanMts.

O.r.reginaThomas,1911—IranMtsandKopetDagRangeintheTurkmenistanandIranfrontier.

O. r. shukurovi Heptner, 1961 — Uly Balkan (= Great Balkan) Range, SW Turkmenistan.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 160-250 mm, ear 20-26 mm, hindfoot 31-40 mm; weight 155-230 g. The Afghan Pika is a large pika. Dorsal fur ranges from grayish with rufous hair tips to russet with darker hair tips. Most specimens have light creamy collars. Forehead is rufous. Ventral fur is sandy gray. Winter fur is longer, softer, and browner than during other seasons. General pattern is more variegated because of light or dark tips of hairs. Hairs above neck gland are chestnut. Ears are rounded, without white margins. Skull is large and wide, with big orbits. Incisive and palatal foramens can be confluent or separated. Auditory bullae are large and situated next to each other. Condylobasal lengths are 38-49 mm, skull widths are 21-27 mm, and skull heights are 15-18 mm. The Afghan Pika differs from other species of pikas by its color and prominent skull with big orbits and adjoining auditory bullae.

Habitat. Gorges, narrow valleys, or slopes with scarce vegetation and talus, rock piles, or outcrops in highly arid mountains at elevations of 2200-2900 m. Although associated with rocks, Afghan Pikas are not typical rock dwellers as are Alpine Pikas ( O. alpina ) or Large-eared Pikas ( O. macrotis ), but they dig burrows near stones. In Turkmenistan, Afghan Pikas live at elevations as low as 200 m in Great Balkan Range and western Kopet Dag Mountains. They do not avoid human settlements and live in clay buildings or dumps.

Food and Feeding. Afghan Pikas feed on green plants. Because they are distributed in a very arid zone and green plants are unavailable during one-half of the year, the Afghan Pika hoards hay twice a year: spring before summer drought and autumn before winter cold. Hay is not piled but stored in natural crevices, under stones, or in special chambers inside burrows. Storage areas contain 0.5-5 kg of hay. The Afghan Pika is not very selective of plants it eats and stores. It can be an agricultural pest, damaging apple trees in winter and vegetables and cereal grains in summer.

Breeding. Breeding of the Afghan Pika starts in February-March and lasts c.3 months. Dates of breeding depend on weather and location; at higher elevations, breeding occurs throughout the warm period. In Turkmenistan, adult females can breed twice a year, with a short interval between breeding. In Pakistan, Afghan Pikas breed more than twice a year. Young females become fertile at 5-6 weeks old. Young males do not breed. Maximal number of embryos per female is 9-11. Gestation is ¢.26 days; neonates are bare and born with their eyes closed. Fur appears on the third day; eyes open 8-9 days after birth. Eleven days after their birth, neonates start to consume green plants. Lactation lasts 20 days.

Activity patterns. The Afghan Pika is diurnal. During hot periods, activity is concentrates in morning and evening. During cold periods, Afghan Pikas are less active in morning than during daytime.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. The Afghan Pika can be seen feeding, sitting on stones, or moving throughout its home range. Areas occupied are 0-0025-0-03 km?, depending on habitat availability. Populations undergo extreme annual fluctuations in numbers. Densities can reach 500-5700 ind/km?, depending on region and year. Social interactions among Afghan Pikas are weakly developed, and social vocalizations are absent. Burrows are used for rearing young, with dispersion of young pikas in late summer when they are very aggressive. Burrows are simple, with lengths of 1-4-4 m, diameters of 8-10 cm, and several small chambers. Nest chamber is roughly spherical and c.25 cm in diameter. Afghan Pikas also use rock crevices as shelters for moving and hay storing.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List.

Bibliography. Fulk & Khokhar (1980), Khalilipour et al. (2014), Lissovsky (2014), Melo-Ferreira et al. (2015), Sapargeldyev (1987).

Figures

15. Kazakh Pika (Ochotona opaca), 16. Silver Pika (Ochotona argentata), 17. American Pika (Ochotona princeps), 18. Collared Pika (Ochotona collaris), 19. Steppe Pika (Ochotona pusilla), 20. Large-eared Pika (Ochotona macrotis), 21. Royle’s Pika (Ochotona roylu), 22. Afghan Pika (Ochotona rufescens), 23. Forrest's Pika (Ochotona forrest), 24. Ladak Pika (Ochotona ladacensis), 25. Turkestan Red Pika (Ochotona rutila), 26. Kozlov’s Pika (Ochotona koslowi), 27. Chinese Red Pika (Ochotona erythrotis), 28. Glover’s Pika (Ochotona gloveri), 29. Ili Pika (Ochotona iliensis)

Subspecies and Distribution. O.r.rufescensGray,1842—AfghanistanandPakistanMts. O.r.reginaThomas,1911—IranMtsandKopetDagRangeintheTurkmenistanandIranfrontier. O. r. shukurovi Heptner, 1961 — Uly Balkan (= Great Balkan) Range, SW Turkmenistan.