pika or Ochotona

pika or Ochotona

Ochotona is a genus of Ochotonidae family mammals. In the vernacular nomenclature they are called pikas, hares-assobiadoras, lágomis and coneys.

Taxonomy

The Ochotona genus was divided into three subgenres based on molecular analysis: Pika, including northern species, Ochotona, the species of the steppes, and Conothoa, the species of the mountains. In 2009, a new molecular study showed that O. pusilla did not belong to the subgenus Ochotona. In 2014, officially proposed the creation of a fourth subgenus, the Lagotona for the species O. pusilla.

The Mammals Species of the World in 2005, included 30 species in the genus. In 2007, O. scorodumovi Skalon, 1935 was recognized as a distinct species of alpine O. However, in 2008, the species name was corrected to mantschurica O. Thomas, 1909, due to priority in the description. In 2012, two taxa described based on phenotypic variation of the coat, O. gaoligongensis Wang, Gong & Duan, 1988 and O. Nigritia Gong, Y.-x. Wang, Z.-h. Li & S.-q. Li, 2000 were reviewed and included as synonyms of O. forresti Thomas, 1923. In 2014, a new reassessment considered O. muliensis Pen & Feng, 1962 synonym of O. gloveri Thomas, 1922 and O. himalayana Feng 1973 synonymous O. roylei Ogilby, 1839, and also considered the name O. huangensis Matschie, 1908 synonym of O. dauurica Pallas, 1776, through the use syrinx O. Thomas, 1911 to the taxon in question. The revision of the genus occurred in 2014, considered the existence of 28 species.