Wildlifeof India
Royle's Pika
Pangolins, Hares, Pikas & Shrews
Photo: (c) Ashwin Viswanathan, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC-BY (May be cropped or resized)
Ochotona roylii
Basic stats
Diet
Grass, hay and other vegetation
Habitat
Narrow creeks and existing burrow systems, filled with hay piles and pine leaves
Range
Bhutan, China, India, Nepal and Pakistan; the most common Himalayan pika
Size
Length 17–22cm
Royle's pika, also called the Himalayan hare, is the most common pika in the Himalaya, about 17–22 cm long, and can be confused with the large-eared pika. It has a slightly arched head, a rufous-grey body and a chestnut-coloured head, with sparse hair in front of the ears. It is found in Bhutan, China, India, Nepal and Pakistan (Wikipedia, general species account).
It is a crepuscular forager, inactive in the midday heat, and forages more in the monsoon when food is more plentiful. It does not make its own nest but uses narrow creeks and existing burrow systems, filling them with hay piles and pine leaves. It typically lives alone and at low densities across its range, though densities of 12.5 per hectare in Nepal and 16.2 per hectare in the Garhwal Himalaya have been recorded (Wikipedia, general species account).
Quick answers
- What does the Royle's Pika eat?
- Grass, hay and other vegetation
- What habitat does the Royle's Pika live in?
- Narrow creeks and existing burrow systems, filled with hay piles and pine leaves
- Where is the Royle's Pika found?
- Bhutan, China, India, Nepal and Pakistan; the most common Himalayan pika
- How big is the Royle's Pika?
- Length 17–22cm