Ochotona muliensis

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	MAMMALIA	LAGOMORPHA	OCHOTONIDAE

Scientific Name:

Ochotona muliensis

Species Authority:

Pen & Feng, 1962

Common Name/s:

English

–

Muli Pika

Taxonomic Notes:

There are no recognized subspecies (Hoffmann and Smith 2005). Ochotona muliensis was originally described as a subspecies of O. gloveri (Hoffmann and Smith 2005).

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Data Deficient ver 3.1

Year Assessed:

2008

Assessor/s

Smith, A.T. & Johnston, C.H.

Evaluator/s:

Boyer, A.F. & Johnston, C.H. (Lagomorph Red List Authority)

Justification:
This is a poorly known species of pika (Smith and Xie 2008). There are only a small number of specimens of Ochotona muliensis (Smith et al. 1990). Furthermore, there has not been a sighting of this species in 40 years (Smith et al. 1990). Data are insufficient to accurately quantify the threat category, at this time.

History:

1996	–	Data Deficient
1994	–	Indeterminate (IUCN)
1990	–	Rare (IUCN 1990)

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	Ochotona muliensis is endemic to China and known only from western Sichuan, China (Smith et al. 1990). It occupies elevations up to 3,600 m (Smith and Xie 2008).
Countries:	Native: China (Sichuan)
Range Map:	(click map to view full version)

Population [top]

Population:	This species has been characterized as rare and has not been recorded in 40 years (Smith et al. 1990). There are only a small number of specimens of Ochotona muliensis (Smith et al. 1990).
Population Trend:	Unknown

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	This species "inhabits thicket and steppe habitat" (Smith et al. 1990). This habitat preference differs from that of O. gloveri, which prefers rocky terrain (Smith et al. 1990). This species is characterized as a generalized herbivore (Smith and Xie 2008). The total length of this species is 22.2 cm (Smith and Xie 2008).
Systems:	Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	It has been suggested "that chemical control directed at other vertebrate species," may be a threat to this species (Smith et al. 1990).

Major Threat(s):

It has been suggested "that chemical control directed at other vertebrate species," may be a threat to this species (Smith et al. 1990).

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	Research is needed in the areas of ecology, reproduction, behavior, and threats (Smith et al. 1990). Additionally, efforts are needed to establish population status, as this species has not been recorded since the 1960's (Smith et al. 1990). This species has been regionally assessed, in China, as Vulnerable under criteria D2 (Wang and Xie 2004).

Conservation Actions:

Research is needed in the areas of ecology, reproduction, behavior, and threats (Smith et al. 1990). Additionally, efforts are needed to establish population status, as this species has not been recorded since the 1960's (Smith et al. 1990). This species has been regionally assessed, in China, as Vulnerable under criteria D2 (Wang and Xie 2004).

Citation:	Smith, A.T. & Johnston, C.H. 2008. Ochotona muliensis. In: IUCN 2009. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2009.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 09 February 2010.
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