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Pika animal3/5/2023 ![]() They are closely related to the rabbit family. Buy Their rounded ears and lack of a tail are distinguishing characteristics of the Pika. Needing cooler temperatures for survival they will die if subjected to temps of 77 or above. Like other species of pika found in North America, the Ili pika lives at high elevations-between 9,200 and 13,450 feet (2,800 to 4,100 meters)-and subsists mainly on grasses, herbs, and other mountain plants. Pikas, tiny mammals which thrive in the colder mountain regions, are threatened by climate change and global warming. Li caught a specimen and sent it to a scientist at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, who said he believed the pika was a new species.Īlthough Li couldn't find any more pikas on a second trip to the area in December 1983, a third trip in 1985 was more successful, and the additional specimens allowed academy researchers to confirm that the Ili pika was new to science. The animal was about 8 inches (20 centimeters) long, with large ears and several small brown spots in its gray fur. Li wasn't familiar with the species, nor were nearby herdsmen. As he edged closer, Li got a look at its whole body. Pika is a common name for the smallest members of the order Lagomorpha, which also includes rabbits and hares. As Li explored a valley by Jilimalale Mountain, he saw a small, gray head sticking out from a crack in the rock. Pika (Ochotona princeps) on Rock Pile in Rocky Mountains - Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada. Download a free preview or high-quality Adobe Illustrator (ai), EPS. They hibernate during the winter munching on the 'hay' which they collect during the summer. Living only at high elevations, they are considered a sentinal animal for the effects of global warming. In 1983, the Chinese government sent Li to the mountainous Xinjiang Province to study natural resources and infectious diseases. American pika animal standing on a white background. ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK, COLORADO, USA - JUNE 23, 2020: Pika are tiny creatures related to the rabbit. They were very excited," said Tatsuya Shin, a naturalist in China who works with the pika's discoverers. "They found it hiding behind a rock, and they realized they had found the pika. At noon one day, as they were setting up camera traps, the team spotted their prize.Ī curious pika emerged from a gap in the cliff face, and Li snapped a few photos (including the one above). Weidong Li, the species' original discoverer and a scientist at the Xinjiang Institute for Ecology and Geography, had gathered a group of volunteers in the Tianshan Mountains for some pika searching. Then, in summer 2014, researchers rediscovered the pika. (Also see " Newly Discovered Carnivore Looks Like Teddy Bear.") In fact, people have spotted only 29 live individuals, and little is known about the animal's ecology and behavior. ![]() ![]() You can learn more about our endangered animal tails here. People have seen the furry critter only a handful of times since it was discovered by accident in 1983. Frontier is dedicated to bringing awareness to the endangered animals within the continental U.S.A. You could call it one of the world's longest games of hide and seek.įor more than 20 years, the Ili pika (Ochotona iliensis), a type of tiny, mountain-dwelling mammal with a teddy bear face, had eluded scientists in the Tianshan Mountains (map) of northwestern China.
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