Wildlifeof China
Alpine Pika
Pangolins, Treeshrews, Shrews & Gymnures
Photo: Hedgenious · CC BY-SA 3.0
Ochotona alpina
Basic stats
Diet
Grasses, sedges, herbs, mosses and lichens
Habitat
Rocky mountain slopes, talus and alpine vegetation
Range
Altai, Sayan and adjoining mountains of Russia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan and China
Size
Approximately 15–25cm
Weight
Approximately 110–360g
The alpine pika is a small, round-bodied lagomorph with short limbs, rounded ears and no externally visible tail. Its summer coat is brownish or ochre, becoming greyer and denser in winter. It occurs in the Altai, Sayan and adjoining mountain systems of Russia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan and China. (Wikipedia, general species account)
It inhabits talus, boulder fields and rocky alpine slopes. Grasses, sedges, herbs, mosses and lichens are gathered during summer, and cut vegetation is dried in exposed piles before being stored as winter hay. Alpine pikas remain active throughout the year and communicate with sharp calls. (Wikipedia, general species account)
Quick answers
- What does the Alpine Pika eat?
- Grasses, sedges, herbs, mosses and lichens
- What habitat does the Alpine Pika live in?
- Rocky mountain slopes, talus and alpine vegetation
- Where is the Alpine Pika found?
- Altai, Sayan and adjoining mountains of Russia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan and China
- How big is the Alpine Pika?
- Approximately 15–25cm
- How much does the Alpine Pika weigh?
- Approximately 110–360g