Ladak pika
Ladakh pika ( Ochotona ladacensis )
The Ladakh pika ( Ochotona ladacensis ) is a mammal of the family of pikas ( Ochotonidae ) among lagomorphs ( Lagomorpha ). She lives in parts of the People's Republic of China, from where extends the distribution to the Kashmir region in northwestern Pakistan and the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir.
Features
The Ladakh pika pika is one with a head -body length of 18 to 22.9 centimeters and a weight of 190-288 grams; that he is one of the larger species of pikas. The hind feet have a length of 34 and 40 millimeters, the ears measuring 24 to 33 millimeters. The fur is back in the summer sand-colored to yellowish- brown, the head has brown, pale - brown or reddish-brown spots on. The outside of the ear is light brown to orange - brown and the belly is gray to whitish- yellow. During winter the fur is ocher. In comparison with the sympatric Schwarzlippigen pikas ( Ochotona curzoniae ) of Ladakh pika is slightly larger.
The skull is large and curved. The incisor window and the palate windows are completely separated. The region between the eyes is narrow. The sides of the zygomatic arches run largely parallel and the tympanic bladder is made small. The incisors are long, probably as an adaptation to the winter diet of Primelwurzeln.
Dissemination
The distribution area of Ladakh pikas extends in the People's Republic of China from southwestern Xinjiang over western Qinghai and to the southeast of the Tibet Autonomous Region, where the species are sympatric lives with the Schwarzlippigen pikas. It also extends into the region of Kashmir and there in the North -West Pakistan and the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir ( where the eponymous region of Ladakh ).
The species prefers dry valleys and rocky mountain regions with low vegetation at altitudes 4200-5400 meters as a habitat.
Way of life
The habitat of Ladakh pikas is characterized mainly by severe drought and little vegetation. In some parts of the vegetation consists only of isolated populations of primrose (Primula ), or Carex moorcroftii and belonging to the sand herbs Arenaria Musciformis. He burrows in meadows, gravel areas or near bushes and feeds generalist of these plants, which he probably mainly underground eating the roots of primroses in winter.
Little is known about the lifestyle. The animals live in social family groups with clearly defined territories and communicate with each other. When threatened, they retreat to a very high Pfeiflaut as a warning call in their burrows back. The reproduction phase of this type is between late June and late July.
System
The Ladakh pika is assigned as an independent species the pikas ( genus Ochotona ) and there the subgenus Conothoa. Some authors, he was regarded as a subspecies of Schwarzlippigen pikas, with whom he sympatric in some parts of Tibet. As a sister species the type Ochotona is considered koslowi due to molecular data.
Within the species, no subspecies are distinguished addition to the nominate form.
Threats and conservation
The species is classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources ( IUCN) due to the large distribution area and the high inventory levels as not at risk ( " least concern "). Larger threats to Artbestand are not known, but are also no data on the holdings.