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Ili pikas on NW China mountains endangered
The Ili pika, indigenous to Northwest China, has been put on the newly revised China Species Red List, indicating the cliff-dwelling mammal is endangered with extinction. The pikas' population has dropped 55 percent over the past 10 years, with less than 3,000 adults in China, according to the list. The Ili pika, one of 24 species of pika recognized internationally, only live on the Tianshan Mountains, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Scientists blame the reduction on poor environment, inbreeding and natural enemies. "The pikas mostly inhabit in slightly sloping large rock walls with a great number of gaps or holes between 2,800 and 4,100 meters above sea level, which are covered with snow but few plants in most of a whole year," says Li Weidong of Xinjiang Institute of Environment Protection. The Ili pika is a beautiful animal with generally bright coloration. It has big rusty-red spots on the forehead, the top of the head and the sides of the neck. The hair color behind the ears and on the nape is pale. Adults are more than 200 millimeters long. The China Species Red List (or The China Red Data Book of Endangered Animals) is a joint publication of China's State Environmental Protection Administration and the Endangered Species Scientific Commission. It aims at providing consultations for the protection of biological diversity after reviewing the status of more than 10, 000 living species across the face of one of the world's largest and geographically most diverse countries. |
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