What kind of animal is a pika? We will explain its characteristics, ecology, and habitat. This rabbit is a very small animal and tends to be very wary, so it is difficult to see it because it often lives secretly in rocky places. I will explain what kind of animal it is.
What is a pika? About basic status
Pikas are animals classified in the order Lagomorpha (order Lagodonta) and the family Pikadae. The scientific name is Ochotona. The body length is only about 20 cm, and the weight is only around 200 g. The list of information is as follows.
| Japanese（和名） | ナキウサギ |
| English（英名） | Pika |
| scientific name(学名) | Ochotona |
| classification（分類） | Mammalia、 Lagomorpha、 Ochotonidae、Ochotona 哺乳綱、ウサギ目、ナキウサギ科、ナキウサギ属 |
| IUCN Status(保全状況) | ENDANGERED |
| Length（体長） | 18-20cm |
| Weight（体重） | 75-290g |
About classification
Because pikas live in large numbers throughout Europe, Asia, and North America, there are many subspecies within the genus Pika. The following is a quote from Wikipedia. Pika lives in the north. Ochotona is a species that lives in the steppes. Conothoa is a species that lives in mountainous areas.
Scientific name – English Name – Japanese Name
- Ochotona alpina Alpine Pika タカネナキウサギ
- Ochotona argentata Silver Pika ギンナキウサギ
- Ochotona collaris Collared Pika クビワナキウサギ
- Ochotona hoffmanni Hoffmann’s Pika ホフマンナキウサギ
- Ochotona hyperborea Northern Pika / Siberian Pika キタナキウサギ
- O. h. yesoensis Japanese Pika エゾナキウサギ
- Ochotona pallasi Pallas’s Pika アルタイナキウサギ
- Ochotona princeps American Pika アメリカナキウサギ
- Ochotona turuchanensis Turuchan Pika トゥルチャンナキウサギ
- Ochotona cansus Gansu Pika / Gray Pika カンシュクナキウサギ
- Ochotona curzoniae Plateau Pika / Black-lipped Pika クチグロナキウサギ
- Ochotona dauurica Daurian Pika ダウリアナキウサギ
- Ochotona huangensis Tsing-ling Pika チンリンナキウサギ
- Ochotona nubrica Nubra Pika ヌブラナキウサギ
- Ochotona pusilla Steppe Pika ステップナキウサギ
- Ochotona rufescens Afghan Pika アフガンナキウサギ
- Ochotona thibetana Moupin Pika チベットナキウサギ
- Ochotona thomasi Thomas’s Pika トマスナキウサギ
- Ochotona erythrotis Chinese Red Pika チュウゴクナキウサギ
- Ochotona forresti Forrest’s Pika フォレストナキウサギ
- Ochotona gaoligongensis Gaoligong Pika ガオリゴンナキウサギ
- Ochotona gloveri Glover’s Pika グローバーナキウサギ
- Ochotona himalayana Himalayan Pika ヒマラヤナキウサギ
- Ochotona iliensis Ili Pika イリナキウサギ[4]
- Ochotona koslowi Kozlov’s Pika コズロフナキウサギ
- Ochotona ladacensis Ladak Pika ラダックナキウサギ
- Ochotona macrotis Large-eared Pika オオミミナキウサギ
- Ochotona muliensis Muli Pika ムリナキウサギ
- Ochotona nigritia Black Pika クロナキウサギ
- Ochotona roylei Royle’s Pika ロイルナキウサギ
- Ochotona rutila Turkestan Red Pika アカナキウサギ
About habitat
Pikas are distributed throughout Europe, Asia, and North America. It can also be seen in Hokkaido in Japan. Calls and sounds may be heard at high altitudes where there are rocks. There are many different numbers living there.
feature is? What kind of creature is it?
Pikas are small hamster-like animals with short limbs, rounded ears, and a short tail. It prefers a cold climate and lives alone in a fairly wide territory in the rocky areas of high mountains with crevices that serve as hiding places. This is because there are many foreign enemies. In warm climates, some types build burrows and live in them. Like rabbits, they poop everywhere after eating. Pikas are diurnal and are usually more active during the day.
What is your personality like?
Pikas are very wary and nervous creatures, as they have a large number of external predators, and rarely show their appearance in front of humans. Although they are very curious, they can be said to be quite cautious animals.
What is the ecology like?
Pikas are herbivorous and subsist on flowers and plants. They mate during the breeding season from spring to summer. Pikas can give birth to 5 pikas at a time. The gestation period is about 30 days. Pikas have a lifespan of only about three years. Pikas do not hibernate, so they engage in “storage behavior” in which they store food from summer to winter.
Are there any natural enemies?
The natural enemies of pikas are stoats, sables, and foxes. Furthermore, you need to be careful about attacks from owls and other creatures from the sky.
Is the pika an endangered species?
Many subspecies of the pika are classified as endangered species. This is because pikas are losing their habitat and becoming predated as humans continue to destroy their habitat. Conservation efforts are also underway.
Can pikas be kept?
Pikas are classified as an endangered species, so it is difficult to keep them in captivity. We recommend that you go to a zoo or other zoo to see them. Please stop taking things in nature.
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