The Large-eared pika (Ochotona macrotis) is a small mountain-dwelling mammal found in Central Asia. Pikas nest among boulders and scree, and in the autumn they pull hay, soft twigs, and other stores of food under rocks to eat during the long, cold winter.
The Large-eared pika has brownish-grey fur tinged with ochre. The forehead, cheeks, and shoulder region have a reddish tinge which is more obvious in summer. The underparts are greyish-white. The four legs are all about the same length and the feet, including the soles, are covered with fur.
Large-eared pikas are found in Afghanistan, Bhutan, India, Pakistan, Nepal, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan and the provinces of Gansu, Qinghai, Sichuan, Tibet, Xinjiang and Yunnan in China. They live in crevices among the shattered rock and scree found in mountainous regions.
Large-eared pikas are solitary and territorial animals. They don't hibernate and are active during the day. Pikas prefer foraging in temperatures below 25 °C (77 °F), so they generally spend their time in shaded regions and out of direct sunlight when temperatures are high. Some populations make "haypiles" of dried grasses in their burrows to help them survive through the winter when fresh greenery is scarce.
Large-eared pikas are herbivores (graminivores, folivores). They eat grasses and other vegetation, twigs, lichens, and mosses.
Large-eared pikas are polygynous meaning that one male mates with more than one female during the breeding season. There are usually two litters a year, each with 2-3 young. The gestation period is approximately 30 days. The young are born blind and helpless and become reproductively mature by the next breeding season.
There are no major threats facing this species at present.
The IUCN Red List and other sources don’t provide the number of the Large-eared pika total population size. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List.