Black pika

black pika
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Lagomorpha
Family: Ochotonidae
Genus: Ochotona
Species: O. nigritia
Binomial name
Ochotona nigritia
Gong, Wang, Li & Li, 2000
Black Pika range

The black pika or silver pika (Ochotona nigritia) is a species of mammal in the family Ochotonidae. It was thought to be common to Yunnan Province of China [2] where it was first discovered in 2000, it is only known from four specimens. The validity of the species has been questioned,[3] with some studies suggesting that the known specimens represent melanistic individuals of Forrest's pika.[4]

Subsequently, in 2011, a WWF-India team on an expedition to West Kameng, India reported sighting 2 Black Pikas at an altitude of 13,000 ft in the Thembang Bapu community-conserved forest area.[5]

References

  1. ↑ Smith, A.T. & Johnston, C.H. (2008). Ochotona nigrita. In: IUCN 2008. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved 10 April 2009. Database entry includes a brief justification of why this species is of data deficient.
  2. ↑ http://wildpro.twycrosszoo.org/s/0MLagomorph/Ochotonidae/Ochotona/ochotona_nigritia.htm#Distribution
  3. ↑ Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M., eds. (2005). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
  4. ↑ Ge, D.; et al. (2012). "Reevaluation of several taxa of Chines lagomorphs (Mammalia: Lagomorpha) described on the basis of pelage phenotype variation". Mammalian Biology 77 (2): 113–123. doi:10.1016/j.mambio.2011.09.009.
  5. ↑ Goswami, Roopak (July 15, 2011). "Black pika sighted in Arunachal - WWF-India research team stumbles upon rare mammal at 13000ft". The Telegraph (Calcutta: Ananda Bazaar Patrika). Retrieved July 15, 2011. The WWF members sighted two black pikas in Pangila and Potok areas at an altitude of 13,000 feet on June 22 and 23 while they, along with villagers of Thembang, were conducting surveys in the Thembang Bapu community-conserved forest area in West Kameng district. The survey was part of a project for development of a management plan of the area.


This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Friday, February 05, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.