Tian Shan Pika

Tian Shan pika is a name used in Irad for the pikas (Ochotona) of the high mountains. The large-eared pika (O. macrotis) lives among boulders and scree above about 2,300 m, and the Turkestan red pika (O. rutila) lives on rocky slopes between about 2,000 and 3,000 m.^[1] Both are small, tailless relatives of hares that do not hibernate. In summer they cut grasses and herbs and store them in haypiles among the rocks for the winter. Both species are listed as Least Concern by the IUCN.^[1]

References

1. ^ Department of Zoology, Talas State University (2019). Mammals of the Talas Alatau and Chatkal Ranges. Talas: Talas State University Press, pp. 30–35.