Ochotona dauurica

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

Bibliography

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	MAMMALIA	LAGOMORPHA	OCHOTONIDAE

Scientific Name:

Ochotona dauurica

Species Authority:

(Pallas, 1776)

Common Name/s:

English

–

Daurian Pika

Taxonomic Notes:

There are currently four recognized subspecies: Ochotona dauurica annectens, O. d. bedfordi, O. d. dauurica, and O. d. mursavi (Hoffmann and Smith 2005). The subspecies O. d. annectens has been included in O. cansus by the Mammals of China (Smith and Xie 2008). This species was formerly included in O. curzoniae and melanostoma (Hoffmann and Smith 2005).

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Least Concern ver 3.1

Year Assessed:

2008

Assessor/s:

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

Reviewer/s:

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

Justification:
This is a widespread species that is present in protected areas and is unlikely to be declining at a rate significant enough for listing under a threat category.

History:

1996

–

Lower Risk/least concern

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	The geographic distribution includes the majority of Mongolia, southern regions of the Russian Federation, and several provinces of China (Gansu, Hebei, Liaoning, Nei Mongol, Ningxia, Qinghai, Shaanxi, and Shanxi) (Smith et al. 1990), and Henan (Smith and Xie 2008).
Countries:	Native: China (Gansu, Hebei, Henan, Nei Mongol, Ningxia, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Shanxi); Mongolia; Russian Federation (Altay, Buryatiya, Krasnoyarsk, Tuva)
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	Ochotona dauurica populations appear to undergo sizeable yearly fluctuations (Ognev 1966, Sokolov et al. 1994). Several isolated populations around the northern and southern edges of the Gobi Desert are considered very vulnerable (Smith et al. 1990).
Population Trend:	Unknown

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	Ochotona dauurica is a burrow-dwelling species that is characterized as a generalized herbivore (Smith and Xie 2008). This species constructs haypile food stores (Smith and Xie 2008). It occupies low-lying desert grassland habitat where flooding can occur (Smith et al. 1999, Smith and Xie 2008). The ecology of O. dauurica seems to be quite similar to that of O. curzoniae (Smith et al. 1990, Smith and Xie 2008). Social behavior for O. curzoniae and O. dauurica differs when they exist sympatrically, than when they do not (Zhang et al. 2001). Under sympatric circumstances, O. curzoniae exhibits "mowing" behavior, while O. dauurica exhibits "hoarding" behavior (Zhang et al. 2001). The total length of this species is 15.0-20.0 cm (Smith and Xie 2008). O. dauurica is capable of producing several litters per year with litter size varying from one to 11 young (Smith et al. 1990). Young born early in the season may become reproductively active the summer of their birth (Smith et al. 1990). Reproductive periodicity varies according to location. In the Trans-Baikal region, reproductive periodicity of O. dauurica begins around April and extends through August (Sokolov et al. 1994). Periodicity extends from April to September across much of Mongolia (Sokolov et al. 1994). Longevity of O. dauurica is approximately two years (Sokolov et al. 1994). This species is considered a keystone species for the geographic range in which it occurs (Smith and Xie 2008). One treatment found that O. dauurica and livestock do not compete for forage as each prefers different vegetation (Nikolski et al. 1984). The burrowing activities of this species also contributes to the overall health of the habitat it occupies (Smith et al. 1990).
Systems:	Terrestrial

Habitat and Ecology:

Ochotona dauurica is a burrow-dwelling species that is characterized as a generalized herbivore (Smith and Xie 2008). This species constructs haypile food stores (Smith and Xie 2008). It occupies low-lying desert grassland habitat where flooding can occur (Smith et al. 1999, Smith and Xie 2008). The ecology of O. dauurica seems to be quite similar to that of O. curzoniae (Smith et al. 1990, Smith and Xie 2008). Social behavior for O. curzoniae and O. dauurica differs when they exist sympatrically, than when they do not (Zhang et al. 2001). Under sympatric circumstances, O. curzoniae exhibits "mowing" behavior, while O. dauurica exhibits "hoarding" behavior (Zhang et al. 2001). The total length of this species is 15.0-20.0 cm (Smith and Xie 2008). O. dauurica is capable of producing several litters per year with litter size varying from one to 11 young (Smith et al. 1990). Young born early in the season may become reproductively active the summer of their birth (Smith et al. 1990). Reproductive periodicity varies according to location. In the Trans-Baikal region, reproductive periodicity of O. dauurica begins around April and extends through August (Sokolov et al. 1994). Periodicity extends from April to September across much of Mongolia (Sokolov et al. 1994). Longevity of O. dauurica is approximately two years (Sokolov et al. 1994).

This species is considered a keystone species for the geographic range in which it occurs (Smith and Xie 2008). One treatment found that O. dauurica and livestock do not compete for forage as each prefers different vegetation (Nikolski et al. 1984). The burrowing activities of this species also contributes to the overall health of the habitat it occupies (Smith et al. 1990).

Systems:

Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	This species has been the target of wide-scale pest control in China (Smith et al. 1990, Smith and Xie 2008).

Major Threat(s):

This species has been the target of wide-scale pest control in China (Smith et al. 1990, Smith and Xie 2008).

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	It is recommended that persecution as a pest species be mitigated and that awareness of its positive, ecological impact be implemented. In Mongolia, approximately 8% of the range of this species occurs in protected areas (Clark et al. 2006) and it has been recorded in Hustai National Park (Todgerel 2002). In China, it occurs in Xinglongshan, Baijitan, and Liupanshan Nature Reserves (CSIS 2008). It has been regionally Red Listed as Least Concern (LC) in Mongolia (Clark et al. 2006). In China, this species has been regionally Red Listed as Least Concern (Wang and Xie 2004).

Conservation Actions:

It is recommended that persecution as a pest species be mitigated and that awareness of its positive, ecological impact be implemented. In Mongolia, approximately 8% of the range of this species occurs in protected areas (Clark et al. 2006) and it has been recorded in Hustai National Park (Todgerel 2002). In China, it occurs in Xinglongshan, Baijitan, and Liupanshan Nature Reserves (CSIS 2008). It has been regionally Red Listed as Least Concern (LC) in Mongolia (Clark et al. 2006). In China, this species has been regionally Red Listed as Least Concern (Wang and Xie 2004).

Bibliography [top]

	China Species Information Service. 2008. Ochotona dauurica. Available at: http://www.chinabiodiversity.com; http://www.baohu.org. (Accessed: May 28). Clark, E. L., Munkhbat, J., Dulamtseren, S., Baillie, J. E.M., Batsaikhan, N., Samiya, R. and Stubbe, M. (eds). 2006. Mongolian Red List of Mammals. Regional Red List Series. pp. 159 pp.. Zoological Society of London, London, UK. Gromov, I. M. and Erbajeva, M. A. 1995. The Mammals of Russia and Adjacent Territories. Russian Academy of Sciences Zoological Institute, St. Petersburg, Russia. Hoffmann, R. S. and Smith, A. T. 2005. Order Lagomorpha. In: D. E. Wilson and D. M. Reeder (eds), Mammal Species of the World, pp. 185-211. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, Maryland, USA. Nikolski, A. A., Guricheva, N. P. and Dmitriev, P. P. 1984. Winter reserves of the Daurian pike in steppe pastures. Byulleten' Moskovskogo Obshchestva Ispytatelei Prirody Otdel Biologicheskii 89: 9-22. Ognev, S. I. 1966. Mammals of Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. Israel Program for Scientific Translations, Jerusalem. Smith, A. and Xie, Y. 2008. The Mammals of China. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey. Smith, A. T., Formozov, N. A., Hoffmann, R. S., Changlin, Z. and Erbajeva, M. A. 1990. The Pikas. In: J. A. Chapman and J. C. Flux (eds), Rabbits, Hares and Pikas: Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan, pp. 14-60. The World Conservation Union, Gland, Switzerland. Sokolov, V. E., Yu Ivanitskaya, E., Gruzdev, V. V. and Heptner, V. G. 1994. Mammals of Russia and Adjoining Regions. Lagomorphs. Nauka Publishers, Moscow, Russia. Wang, S. and Xie, Y. 2004. China Species Red List. Vol. 1 Red List. Higher Education Press, Beijing, China. Zhang, D., Fan, N. and Yin, H. 2001. Comparative analysis of behavior between Ochotona daurica and Ochotona curzoniae in sympatric coexistence. Journal of Hebei University, Natural Science Edition 21(1): 72-77.

China Species Information Service. 2008. Ochotona dauurica. Available at: http://www.chinabiodiversity.com; http://www.baohu.org. (Accessed: May 28).

Clark, E. L., Munkhbat, J., Dulamtseren, S., Baillie, J. E.M., Batsaikhan, N., Samiya, R. and Stubbe, M. (eds). 2006. Mongolian Red List of Mammals. Regional Red List Series. pp. 159 pp.. Zoological Society of London, London, UK.

Gromov, I. M. and Erbajeva, M. A. 1995. The Mammals of Russia and Adjacent Territories. Russian Academy of Sciences Zoological Institute, St. Petersburg, Russia.

Hoffmann, R. S. and Smith, A. T. 2005. Order Lagomorpha. In: D. E. Wilson and D. M. Reeder (eds), Mammal Species of the World, pp. 185-211. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.

Nikolski, A. A., Guricheva, N. P. and Dmitriev, P. P. 1984. Winter reserves of the Daurian pike in steppe pastures. Byulleten' Moskovskogo Obshchestva Ispytatelei Prirody Otdel Biologicheskii 89: 9-22.

Ognev, S. I. 1966. Mammals of Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. Israel Program for Scientific Translations, Jerusalem.

Smith, A. and Xie, Y. 2008. The Mammals of China. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey.

Smith, A. T., Formozov, N. A., Hoffmann, R. S., Changlin, Z. and Erbajeva, M. A. 1990. The Pikas. In: J. A. Chapman and J. C. Flux (eds), Rabbits, Hares and Pikas: Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan, pp. 14-60. The World Conservation Union, Gland, Switzerland.

Sokolov, V. E., Yu Ivanitskaya, E., Gruzdev, V. V. and Heptner, V. G. 1994. Mammals of Russia and Adjoining Regions. Lagomorphs. Nauka Publishers, Moscow, Russia.

Wang, S. and Xie, Y. 2004. China Species Red List. Vol. 1 Red List. Higher Education Press, Beijing, China.

Zhang, D., Fan, N. and Yin, H. 2001. Comparative analysis of behavior between Ochotona daurica and Ochotona curzoniae in sympatric coexistence. Journal of Hebei University, Natural Science Edition 21(1): 72-77.

Citation:	Smith, A.T. & Johnston, C.H. 2008. Ochotona dauurica. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 10 February 2012.
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