Mammals · Lagomorpha · Ochotonidae

Pallas's Pika

Ochotona pallasii

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

Pallas's pika is a small, chunky lagomorph with no visible tail and short, rounded ears, which inhabits the steppes and scree slopes of Mongolia, northern China, Kazakhstan and southern Russia. It lives in family colonies that dig burrows and communicate with high-pitched whistles. Like the rest of the pikas, it does not hibernate: it spends the summer cutting grass and piling it up in the sun to dry, forming small haystacks that serve as its larder through the long continental winters.

Weight

150 g – 250 g

Size

16 cm – 23 cm

Lifespan

3 years

Diet

Herbivore

Feeds mainly on plants.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

Colony

Lives in large concentrations, often for breeding reasons.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

DesertMountainGrasslandHerbivore Diurnal Colonial Desert Mountain Grassland Mammal

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Fun facts

It cuts grass in summer and leaves it to dry in the sun in tidy little heaps, a hoarding habit that has earned it the nickname of farmer of the steppe.
Pikas are not rodents but lagomorphs, that is, close relatives of rabbits and hares, with which they share a second pair of incisors behind the first.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
Habitat & environment: Rocky steppe, scree and semi-desert in Central Asia, between 1,200 and 3,500 m
Birth weight: Born blind and almost naked
Size at birth: Born blind and almost naked; it opens its eyes within a few days
Gestation / incubation: 25 days
Litter / clutch size: 5

Sources consulted: https://www.iucnredlist.org/ | https://animaldiversity.org/ | https://es.wikipedia.org/

Where to find it

See its range on the interactive map

Best time: All year round on the steppes of Mongolia and north-western China, by day; in summer and autumn it is seen carrying and drying grass in haypiles.