Ochotona forresti, Thomas, 1923

Don E. Wilson, Thomas E. Lacher, Jr & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2016, Ochotonidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 6 Lagomorphs and Rodents I, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 28-43 : 41

23.

Forrest's Pika

Ochotona forresti

French: Pika de Forrest / German: Forrest-Pfeifhase / Spanish: Pica de Forrest

Other common names: Gaoligong Pika, Black Pika

Taxonomy. Ochotona forresti Thomas, 1923 ,

“N.W. Flank. Li-kiang Range [27°N, 100°30°’E], 13000°,” Lijiang, Yunnan, China.

According to mtDNA, O. forrest: belongs to subgenus Conothoa and occupies the outer position to all species except O. erythrotis and O. gloveri . Due to its small size, similar to sympatric O. thibetana , and great variation in pelage color and very different winter and summer pelage, O. forrest: has a rich history of taxonomic placement. It was synonymized with O. pusilla , O. thibetana , or O. roylui—three species from three subgenera. According to morphological study, O. forvesti includes duoxionglaensis, gaoligongensis, nigritia, and osgoodi. Two species, nignitia and gaoligongensis, were described on the basis of chromatic aberrations in O. forrest. No craniometrical differences were found between these races. Patchy distribution of O. forresti together with morphological differences between western and eastern populations points to the need for additional investigation of intraspecific taxonomy. Distribution should be studied more carefully because it contains wide gaps. Two subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution.

O.f.forrest:Thomas,1923—GaoligongMts,intheborderareasbetweenChina,mainlyYunnanandalittlepartofTibet(=Xizang)andMyanmarandinMtYulong(NWYunnan),SChina,butprobablyalsoinotherrangesbetweenthem.

O. f. duoxionglaensis Chen Xiaocheng & Li Wenjing, 2009 — Namcha Barwa Himal in the loop of Brahmaputra River, SE Xizang, S China.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 150-190 mm, ear 17-25 mm, hindfoot 24-33 mm; weight 85-148 g. Forrest’s Pika is medium-sized. Subspecies duoxionglaensis is larger than forresti . Pelage is very variable; melanistic and other color variant individuals are known. Dorsal fur is bright rufous. Ventral fur is light rufous, with gray flanks; chest is brown. Winter fur is longer and softer than during other seasons; dorsal pelage is brown with black hair tips; collar and head are gray; and belly is gray and sandy. Hairs above neck gland are brown. Ears are small and rounded, with narrow white margins. Skull is medium-sized, with wide interorbital constriction and confluent incisive and palatal foramens, which form a single pear-shaped opening. Auditory bullae are medium-sized. Condylobasal lengths are 34-38 mm, skull widths are 18-20 mm, and skull heights are 12-15 mm. Forrest’s Pika is difficult to identify because, despite a distinctive bright summer pelage, for more that nine months of the year,it bears winter pelage or molts. It differs from the Moupin Pika ( O. thibetana ) by having single-colored ears (the Moupin Pika has gray near bases of ears and brown closer to edges), wider interorbital constriction, and a more prominent and wider skull.

Habitat. Rocky patches in forest and subalpine belts at elevations of 2500-4400 m. Forrest’s Pika is a rock dweller.

Food and Feeding. Forrest's Pikas feed on green plants.

Breeding. Forrest's Pikas are born in July; subadults were recorded in August—October.

Activity patterns. There is no information available for this species.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. There is no specific information available for this species, but direct observations suggest that Forrest's Pika occurs at low densities.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. Former subspecies gaoligongensis (“the Gaoligong Pika”) and nigritia (“the Black Pika ”)) were treated as full species and classified as Data Deficient on The IUCN Red Lust.

Bibliography. Chen Xiaocheng & Li Wenjing (2009), Ge Deyan et al. (2012), Yu Ning et al. (2000).

Figures

15. Kazakh Pika (Ochotona opaca), 16. Silver Pika (Ochotona argentata), 17. American Pika (Ochotona princeps), 18. Collared Pika (Ochotona collaris), 19. Steppe Pika (Ochotona pusilla), 20. Large-eared Pika (Ochotona macrotis), 21. Royle’s Pika (Ochotona roylu), 22. Afghan Pika (Ochotona rufescens), 23. Forrest's Pika (Ochotona forrest), 24. Ladak Pika (Ochotona ladacensis), 25. Turkestan Red Pika (Ochotona rutila), 26. Kozlov’s Pika (Ochotona koslowi), 27. Chinese Red Pika (Ochotona erythrotis), 28. Glover’s Pika (Ochotona gloveri), 29. Ili Pika (Ochotona iliensis)

Subspecies and Distribution. O.f.forrest:Thomas,1923—GaoligongMts,intheborderareasbetweenChina,mainlyYunnanandalittlepartofTibet(=Xizang)andMyanmarandinMtYulong(NWYunnan),SChina,butprobablyalsoinotherrangesbetweenthem. O. f. duoxionglaensis Chen Xiaocheng & Li Wenjing, 2009 — Namcha Barwa Himal in the loop of Brahmaputra River, SE Xizang, S China.