Ochotona roylii (Ogilby, 1839)

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 : 40-41

21.

Royle’s Pika

Ochotona roylii

French: Pika de Royle / German: Royle-Pfeifhase / Spanish: Pica de Royle

Other common names: Himalayan Pika

Taxonomy. Lagomys roylii Ogilby, 1839 ,

“Choor Mountain [= Choor Chandni Peak],” Shimla Himachal Pradesh, India.

According to DNA analysis, O. roylii belongs to subgenus Conothoa. Some authors included O. roylii in O. macrotis , but morphological and DNA studies do not support this point of view. Taxon himalayana was treated as a separate species, but it does not differ from the eastern race of Ochotona roylit. Some authors allocated chinensis (belongs to O. macrotis ) to this species, but this was not supported by morphological and DNA data. O. roylii is often confused with O. macrotis , but these two species are mainly allopatric. Ochotona roylii inhabits the western Himalaya, where it is common on southern mountain ranges and very rare in the Zanskar Range. In Ganges Basin, both species inhabit Himalaya but are segregated by elevation; O. roylii always occupies lower elevations. Together within several deep river gorges, O. roylii penetrates the Tibetan Plateau. Ochotona roylii is common east to Arun River valley; further to the east,it is patchily distributed to western Sikkim. According to morphological study, it includes baltina, himalayana , hodgsonii, nepalensis, and ward.. Two subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution.

O.r.royliiOgilby,1839—WHimalayaEtoKaliGandakiRiver,NIndia,NWNepal.

O. r. nepalensis Hodgson, 1841 — E Himalaya E from Kali Gandaki River, NE Nepal, N India (Sikkim).

Descriptive notes. Head-body 150-220 mm, ear 20-30 mm, hindfoot 23-36 mm; weight 130-200 g. Royle’s Pika is medium-sized. Dorsal fur is rufous or rufous brown, mixed with black hair tips. Some specimens have light patches behind ears. Ventral fur is whitish, sometimes with ocherous patches. Winter fur is longer and softer than during other seasons. Dorsal pelage is grayish brown or brown, mixed with white hair tips. Ears are large and rounded, with faint white margins. Skull is medium-sized, with widely confluent incisive and palatal foramens. A pair of foramens is usually situated on frontal bones, but this characteristic is not stable (e.g. eastern populations often lack these openings). Auditory bullae are medium-sized. Condylobasal lengths are 37-43 mm, skull widths are 20-23 mm, and skull heights are 15-16 mm. Royle’s Pika differs from the Large-eared Pika ( O. macrotis ) by its rufous color, absence of contrast between forehead and cheeks, and light margins of ears.

Habitat. Rocky habitats from upperforest to alpine areasat elevations of 2100-4500 m. Although microhabitat distribution of Royle’s Pika is strongly associated with rocks, it is not a true rock dweller, such as the Large-eared Pika. Royle’s Pika often uses manmade stone fences or debris-flow sediments mixed with colluvium; it uses very narrow crevices. Snow depth and duration of snow cover are limiting factors; snow cover in spring prevents temperature fluctuations in nests.

Food and Feeding. Royle’s Pikas feed on plants, preferring green leaves and flowers during warm periods, and they do not hoard hay. They eat a wide variety of plants but can be selective.

Breeding. Breeding of Royle’s Pika starts in April and lasts 2-3 months. Adult female gives birth to one litter per year. Young Royle’s Pikas become fertile at 7-9 months of age. Each female gives birth to 1-5 young. Gestation is 28-30 days; neonates are covered with scarce fur and born with their eyes closed. Eyes open after 8-10 days. Lactation lasts 20-22 days.

Activity patterns. Royle’s Pika is diurnal and easily visible. In summer and in open rocky habitats, it avoids midday heat. It spends more than one-half of its time feeding and moving aboveground.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Royle’s Pikas move openly among rocks or near rocky shelters in meadows. Continuous running and leaping is characteristic. Long posing on rocks is common. Average density is 1623 ind/km* in the western Himalaya and 1250 ind/km?in the eastern Himalaya. Home ranges of males and females overlap. Royle’s Pika is thought to be facultatively monogamous. Vocalizations are rare in the nominate subspecies and quite frequent in nepalensis. Known calls are simple whistles, probably reflecting emotional status of an individual. Royle’s Pika does not dig and uses natural hollows among rocks; however,it clears tunnels and entrances from soil.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List (as both O. royliz and O. himalayana ).

Bibliography. Bhattacharyya et al. (2009, 2013, 2014), Feng Zuojian & Zheng Changlin (1985), Kawamichi (1971), Lissovsky (2014), Upadhyay & Bahuguna (2013), Yu Ning et al. (2000).

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.royliiOgilby,1839—WHimalayaEtoKaliGandakiRiver,NIndia,NWNepal. O. r. nepalensis Hodgson, 1841 — E Himalaya E from Kali Gandaki River, NE Nepal, N India (Sikkim).