Notes on the Collared Pika, Ochotona Collaris (Nelson), in Alaska

University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln

Faculty Publications from the Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology Parasitology, Harold W. Manter Laboratory of

1961

Notes on the Collared Pika, Ochotona collaris (Nelson), in Alaska

Robert L. Rausch University of Washington, [email protected]

Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/parasitologyfacpubs

Part of the Parasitology Commons

Rausch, Robert L., "Notes on the Collared Pika, Ochotona collaris (Nelson), in Alaska" (1961). Faculty Publications from the Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology. 345. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/parasitologyfacpubs/345

This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Parasitology, Harold W. Manter Laboratory of at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Faculty Publications from the Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. Rausch in the Murrelet 42 (1961)

NOTES ON THE COLLAREDPIKA, OCHOTONACOLLARIS (NELSON), IN ALASKA ROBERTL. RAUSCH Maps showingthe geographicrange of the collaredpika, Ochotonacol- laris (Nelson), have been publishedrecently by Hall (1951) and by Hall and Kelson (1959). Accordingto these, this Inammaloccurs in the mountains betweenthe Tananaand Yukon Rivers,and in the AlaskaRange as far west as Mt. McKinley.A specimenfrom the summit of the ChugachMountains (Baker,1951) was not includedon the aforementionedmaps. Osgood(1904) referredto two specimenscollected by C. L. McKay in the ChogmitMolln- tains, east of Lake Clarkat the base of the Alaska Peninsula,and also men- tioned a sight recordfor Keejik Mountainby Lake Clark. Duringthe years 1950-1961,I have collected73 collaredpikas in Alaska. The majority (66) was taken in the Talkeetna Mountains,in the general vicinity of Willow Pass; the remainderwas from the following localities: Isabella Pass, Alaska Range (1); unnamedlake (lat. 62° 48' 20" N., long. 146°41' 30"W.) north of Lake Louise (2); Eklutna Lake (1) and near the head of Eagle River (1), ChugachMountains; White Mountain,near Na-

Figure 1. Map of southeastern quadrant of A1klska,with records of occurrence of the collared pika (published and original data included). Mountain ranges are shaded to timberline fafter Sigafoos, 1958).

(22) Rausch in the Murrelet 42 (1961)

May-August,1961 COLLARED PIKA IN ALASKA 23 besna,Wrangell Mountains (2). I also saw a pika,not collected,alo}zg the RichardsonHighway 45 milesnorth of Valdez,in the ChugachMountains. Mr.Ronald O. Skoog,Alaska Department of Fishand Game, (personal com- munication)observed pikas at the westend of ChakachamnaLake, north of LakeClark, on July 3-4, 1961. The aboverecords together with those previouslypublished seem to permita comparativelyaccurate delinestion of the geographicrange of the collaredpika west of aboutlong. 140°W. (Figure1). This mammalmay be expectedto occurin suitablehabitat in the mountainsbetween the Yukon and TananaRivers (see Libby,1958), throughoutthe Wrangell,Chugach, and TaReetnaMountains, and southin the AlaskaRange to the Chigmit MountaixLs.The collaredpika has not beenrecorded from the mountainson the KellaiPeninsula. Portage Pass, on the isthmusseparating the Peninsula fromthe adjacentmainland, may be a naturalbamer which the pika,and endently the arcticground squirrel, Citellus undulatus (Pallas), as well, haveIlot beenable thus far to cross.Little is knownabout the movements of the collaredpika awayfrom the rock-slidesit chaarcteristicallyinhabits. On September12, 1954,at the localityllorth of LakeLouise, I foundpikas in a forestedvalley (whitespruce-birch-willow) more than 200 yardsfrom the nearesttalus, and their burrowswere beneath scattered rocks among the trees. Anthony (1923) reportedthat O. pnnceps (Richardson)may migrateup to severalmiles through dense forest. All but one of the 73 pikasmentioned above were collected during the periodMay 30-October2. Forty-fivewere males; 26 werefemales, and the sex of two was not recorded.A femalekilled in the TaLkeetnaMountains on May30 contained3 embryos;the latestpregnancy recorded was on June 13at the samelocality The latter animal was also lactating, and this provided the only indicationthat morethan one littsr may be bornper year. The earliestobserved emergence of youngwas June 19, whena femaleweighing 77.5grams was collected. Threepikas were seen in a rock-slideabove Eklutna Lake on November 10, 1961,and one was collected.The axnbienttemperature at the time was about 10° F., and the depth of snow was insufficientto coverthe rocks. Dixon(1938) reportedthat CharlesSheldon found pikas active at Mt. Mc- Kinleyon December26, 1907,at a temperatureof -31° F. The depth of snowis usuallytoo greatto permitwinter observations on this mammal. Howell(1924) stated that the collaredpika seemsto have only one annualmolt. My findingsare in agreementmnth Howell's, since only the specimentaken on November10 had completedthe molt. The diet of the collaredpika in Alaskahas evidentlynot beendescribed in detail.At the southemlimits of the TalkeetnaMountains, where the florahas a largecomponent of coastalspecies, a hay-pileexammed on Oct;ober 2 containedthe followmg:Cystopteris fragilgs (L.) Bemh.; Lycopodium sp.; Carex sp.; Sanguisorbasitchensis C. A. Meyer;Cassiope Stellerzna (Pall.); Luetkea pectinata (Pursh) Kuntze (sntire stalks with flowers); Epilobiumlstifokum L. (comprisingabout 60 percent of the total volume). At the localitynorth of LakeLouise, a hay-pileon September10 contained: Ledumpalustre ssp. decumbens(Ait.) Hult.;Vaccinium Vitis-idaea L. (with bemes); Empetrumnigrum L. (with berries);Salix sp.; leavesof Betula kenaicaEvans hybridized with a dwarfspecies of Betula. The observations suggestthat the pikasutilize whatever plants are availablenear the rock- slides. Fecesof ermine,Mustels ermineaL., haveoften been noted on the hay- piles.On July 11, 1954,I watchedan erminecarrying a pikaacross a rock- Rausch in the Murrelet 42 (1961)

24 I5HE MURRELE'1' Vol. 4:2 (2) slide in the Talkeetna Mourltains.The ermine was collected and found to be a female weighing109.6 grarns;the pika it had killed (as indicated hy tooth-marksand hemorrhageat the base of the skull) weighed118.6 grams. The ermineappears to be an importantpredator on pikas in south-central Alaska,according to evidenceof its presenceirl slides inhabltedby the latter. The striated muscles of collaredpikas, particularlyin the Talkeetna Mountains,often contain Sarcocystissp Parasitichalminths found in these pikas have been reportedelsewhere (Akhtar, 1956; 1958; Rausch, 1960) and their fleas have been discussedhy Holland (1958). -Arctic Health ResearchCenter PzlblicHealth Service, U. S. Department of Health, Education,and Welfare,Anchorage, Alaska

LITERATURE CITED AKHTAR, S. A. 1956. On the nematodes (Family: Oxyuridae Cobb., Sub-family: Labiostominaen. subf.) parasitic in the pika of Alaska I. Pakistan J. Sci. Res. 8: 133-139. AKHTAR, S. A. 1958. On the nematodes (Family: Oxyuridae Cobb., Sub-family: Labiostominaen. subf.) parasitic in the pika of Alaska-II. Pakistan J. Sci. Res. 10:56-62. ANTHONY, A. W. 1923. Periodical emigrations of ]nammals;.J. Mammal. 4: 60-(;l. BAKER, R. H. 1951. Mammals taken along the Alaska Highway. Univ. Kansas P-ubl., Mus. Nat. Hist. 5:87-117. DIXON, J. S. 1938. Birds and mammals of Nlount NIcKinley National Park, Alaska. Fauna Series No. 3, Nat. Park Svc. U. S. Govt. Printing Office, Wash., D.C. 236 pp. lIALL, E. R. 1951. A synopsis of the North AmericanLagomorpha. Univ. Kansas Publ., Mus. Nat. Hist. 5:119-202. HALL, E. R., and Kelson, K. R. 1959.The mammais of North America.Vol. I. Ronald Press. New York. 546 pp. HOLLAND, G. P 1958. Distribution patterns of northern fleas (Siphonaptera). Proc. 10th Int'loCongr. Entomology, Vol. I. pp. 645-658. HOWELL, A. H. 1924. Revision of the American pikas. North Amer. Fauna, No. 47. U. S. Dept. Agric. Gcuvt.Printing Office, Wash., D.C. 57 pp. LIBBY, W. L. 1958. Records of the pika in the Tanana Hills, Alaska. J. Mammal. 39:448-449. OSGOOD,W. H. 1904. A biological reconnaissanceof the base of the Alaska Peninsula. North Amer. Fauna, No. 24. U. S. Dept. Agric. Govt. Printing Office, Wash., D.C. 86 pp. RAUSCH, iEl.1960. Studies on the helminth fauna of Alaska. XXXVII. Description of Schizorchis caballerio n. sp. (Cestoda: Anoplocephalidae), with notes on other parasites of Ochotona. Liblo Homenaje Dr. Edu. Caballero y C. Mexico, D. F. 594 pp. SIGAFOOS, R. S. 1958. Vegetation of northwestern North America, as an aid in interpretation of geologic data. Geological Su:rv. Bull. 1061-E. U. S. Dept. Int. Govt. Printing Office, Wash., D.C. pp. 165-185.

AnotherRecord of the VVhite-ThroatedSparrow for Eastern Washington Thereare few recordsof the White-throatedSparrow (Zono trichiaalSoi- collis) for eastern WashiIlgton.Therefore it is oF interest to note that Jim Acton and severalother membersof the SpokaneB;rd Clubreported observ- ing one at Indian Canyon in northwestSpokane on September29, 1961. The followingday, September30, I collected the specimen,which was an immaturemale, and made it up as a study skin. This is the first recordof this bird in the Spokane area. LYNN D. LAFAVE,Spokane, Washington, January 12, 1962.