Ochotona turuchanensis

• Main Authors: Don E. Wilson, Thomas E. Lacher, Jr, Russell A. Mittermeier
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: unknown
• Published: Lynx Edicions 2016
• Subjects: Biodiversity; Taxonomy; Animalia; Chordata; Mammalia; Lagomorpha; Ochotonidae; Ochotona; Ochotona turuchanensis; Stripe; Yenisey; Tunguska; Nizhnyaya Tunguska; lena river; yenisey river; Siberia
• Online Access: https://zenodo.org/record/6617945; https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6617945

9. Turuchan Pika Ochotona turuchanensis French: Pika de la Touroukhan / German: Turuchan-Pfeifhase / Spanish: Pica de Turujanks Taxonomy. Ochotona (Pika) hyperborea turuchanensis Naumov, 1934, “baxropust Yuamu, Hwxusiss Tynrycka, TypyxaHckuid kpai® (= Uchami outpost, Nizhnyaya Tunguska River, Turuchansk Territory), Evenkiysky District, Krasnoyarskiy Territory, Russia. According to mtDNA and nDNA, O. turuchanensis belongs to subgenus Pika. It was described as a subspecies of O. hyperborea and was not considered as a separate taxon for a long time. Due to strong morphological similarity with O. Tatetion, O. turuchanensis was not even listed as a subspecies. Peculiarity of O. turuchanensis was discovered based on qualitative morphological traits and particular bioacoustic repertoire. Further study of mtDNA showed that O. turuchanensis is a sister taxon of O. alpina and not related to O. hyperborea. Both mtDNA and nDNA studies confirmed that O. turuchanensis is closely related to O. alpina, if a species at all. Placement of O. turuchanensis into O. alpina does not explain, however, its morphological similarities to O. hyperborea and its particular ecological preferences. Before merging these two taxa, a hypothesis about hybrid origin of O. turuchanensis should be tested. Ochotona turuchanensis is sympatric with O. hyperborea in the Putorana Plateau and adjacent regions of the central Siberian Plateau in the Nizhnyaya Tunguska River Basin. Monotypic. Distribution. Widely distributed in C Siberia between middle and lower Yenisey River and Lena River, Russia. Descriptive notes. Head-body 160-220 mm, ear 16-24 mm, hindfoot 25-30 mm; weight 113-171 g. The Turuchan Pika is medium-sized. Dorsal and ventral fur is ocherous rufous, with darker dorsal stripe. Winter fur is longer, softer, and lighter than during other seasons. Hairs above neck gland are chestnut. Melanistic individuals are known. Ears are rounded, with white margins. Skull is medium-sized and stout, with incisive and palatal foramens separated. Auditory ...