PLATEAU PIKA
IUCN
Status :Least Concern
Size: 14–19.2 cm
DESCRIPTION: The Plateau Pika is small and
sandy brown in colour with paler, slightly yellowish brown underparts. It has
distinctive facial markings, with a distinct rust patch behind each ear, a
black-tipped nose with a buff patch above the nose, and black lips. The latter
gives rise to the name Black-lipped Pika. Its skull is medium-sized and sharply
elevated to give it a flat-headed look. The interorbital region is narrow and
the tympanic bullae moderate in size. The winter coat is greyer.
BEHAVIOUR: A very social animal, it lives
in a family unit in burrows. A family burrow usually consists of one male, one
female and offspring, but polyandry and polygyny are also known.
DISTRIBUTION: Trans-Himalayan, in northern
Sikkim, and eastern and northern Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmir (4,100–4,700 m). It
has been seen to share habitat with L. oiostolus and O. ladacensis, and
separate from L. tibetanus, O. macrotis and O. nubrica.
HABITAT: Open steppe and cold desert. Lower
altitudes and more grassy habitats compared to its congeneric O. ladacensis.
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