🦋 Identification Guide

How to Identify Ochotonidae

8 species · Animalia · Order Lagomorpha

Ochotonidae is a animal family in the Animalia kingdom, order Lagomorpha, class Mammalia. The family contains 8 accepted species worldwide.

Key Identification Features

Individuals have dull grayish fur on their dorsal side, with gray patches on the shoulders and nape that form an indistinct collar, and opaque white fur on their ventral side.
This means the species has no sexual dimorphism, so sex can only be distinguished by examining specific genitalia within the pseudocloaca.
It is well known for its "barking" alarm call, and for its unusual habit of making hay to help survive the winter.
Like other lagomorphs, Daurian pikas are characterized by a secondary set of incisor teeth.

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Representative Ochotonidae Species

Ochotona curzoniae (Hodgson, 1858)

Plateau pika (Ochotona curzoniae), also black-lipped pika, is a small non-hibern…

Ochotona roylii (Ogilby, 1839)

Royle's pika (Ochotona roylii) is the most common Himalayan pika, a solitary cre…

Ochotona collaris (Nelson, 1893)

Ochotona collaris, the collared pika, is a small, North American cold-adapted la…

Ochotona dauurica (Pallas, 1776)

Daurian pika (Ochotona dauurica) is a small lagomorph native to East Asia, known…

Ochotona alpina (Pallas, 1773)

Ochotona alpina, the alpine pika, is a small mammal native to Asian mountain ran…

Ochotona princeps (Richardson, 1828)

Ochotona princeps, the American pika, is a small cold-adapted lagomorph native t…

Ochotona pallasi (Gray, 1867)

Pallas's pika (Ochotona pallasi) is a small mammal with four geographically sepa…

Ochotona hyperborea (Pallas, 1811)

Ochotona hyperborea, the northern pika, is a small pika found in mountainous eas…

Browse all 8 Ochotonidae species →

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you identify Ochotonidae?

Ochotonidae animals belong to the Lagomorpha order in the Animalia kingdom. Individuals have dull grayish fur on their dorsal side, with gray patches on the shoulders and nape that form an indistinct collar, and opaque white fur on their ventral side. For instant identification, use the iNature app — AI-powered and works offline.

What are the key characteristics of Ochotonidae?

Ochotonidae is classified in the order Lagomorpha, class Mammalia, phylum Chordata. This means the species has no sexual dimorphism, so sex can only be distinguished by examining specific genitalia within the pseudocloaca.

Sources: GBIF, iNaturalist, Wikipedia · Disclaimer

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