Ochotona hyperborea cinereoflava ( Schrenk, 1858 )

Lissovsky, Andrey A., Obolenskaya, Ekaterina V., Dokuchaev, Nikolai E. & Okhlopkov, Innokentiy M., 2021, Intraspecific variation and taxonomy of northern pika Ochotona hyperborea (Mammalia, Lagomorpha), Journal of Mammalogy 102 (1), pp. 28-53 : 39

Ochotona hyperborea cinereoflava ( Schrenk, 1858)

Lectotype (designated by Ognev 1940). ZIN 82201 , skin with skull inside. Collected by M. Furman 18.02.1845 (Collection of A. F. Middendorff) . Paralectotypes: ZIN 82202 , male, skin with skull inside; 82203 sex unknown, broken skull and skin .

Type locality.— Russia, Khabarovsk Territory, lower Uda River, vicinities of Udskoe (“Udskoy ostrog”).

Description.— Pikas of the D genetic lineage; southern acoustic race. Occupying a central position in the species range, O. h. cinereoflava contacts four other subspecies (Supplementary Data SD7). It can be distinguished from O. h. hyperborea , O. h. uralensis, and O. h. fedoseevi ssp. n. by the shape of the frequency modulation curve of its alarm call ( Fig. 6 ). Differences with O. h. uralensis include also the shape of the parietal suture of the skull ( Fig. 5 ). Separation from O. h. cinereofusca is possible on the basis of genetic traits only.

Distribution.— KnownfromDzhugdzhurRangeandStanovoy Range; forms a zone of intergradation with O. h. cinereofusca on the Aldan Plateau. Theoretically (Supplementary Data SD7), O. h. cinereoflava should contact with O. h. uralensis at the northern foothills of the Aldan Plateau and western foothills of the Dzhugdzhur Range; and contact O. h. hyperborea to the north of the Dzhugdzhur Range. However, any such contact zones are not known.

Nomenclatural notes.— There only is one available name that has been described from the distribution range of this subspecies: Lagomys hyperboreus var. cinereoflava Schrenk, 1858 . This taxon initially was described on the basis of three specimens ( Schrenk 1858), collected from very remote areas ( Lissovsky et al. 2003): “Udskoy Ostrog” (ca. 54.56°N, 134.27°E), Maya River (ca. 54.90°N, 133.91°E, 12.09.1845; collector, I. G. Woznessenskiy); and Olenek River (68.183°N, 112.25°E, 1.10.1854; collector, R. Maak). Both L. Schrenck and the museum label mention A. F. Middendorff as a collector of the specimen from Udskoy Ostrog. However, A. F. Middendorff collected animals in the Kamchatka Peninsula during this time (Sokolov and Shishkin 2005). His assistant M. Furman was left in Udskoe for collections and observations; most probably he was the real collector of the specimen.

Figures

Fig. 6.—Distribution of alarm calls of Ochotona hyperborea in the space of principal components (PCs) of parameters of the shape of the frequency modulation curve. Each call is marked by the identifier of Cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 lineage. A representative sonogram of each acoustic race is shown.

Fig. 5.—Shape of the parietal suture of the skull in Ochotona hyperborea: (A) sinuous parietal suture; (B) V-shaped parietal suture (O. h. uralensis).