- · Grid units represent actual meters (m); human and animals are drawn to the exact same scale with original silhouette aspect ratios preserved.
- · When a size range is recorded (e.g. 1–1.6m), the lower bound is used for scale comparison.
- · Ili Pika silhouette: PhyloPic — Margot Michaud · CC0 1.0 (Ochotona princeps)
- · Human silhouette: PhyloPic — NASA · Public Domain Mark 1.0
Ili Pika
Ochotona iliensis (Ili Pika · イリナキウサギ)
💡 Everyday Comparisons for Size, Mass & Speed
- 💡 A head-body length of about 20 cm is nearly equal to the short side of an A4 sheet of paper (21 cm), and a weight of 200–250 g is similar to four chicken eggs (about 240 g) (Comparison).
- 💡 It has the habit of drying green plants and stacking them as haypiles in rock crevices.
- 💡 Estimated to have lost about 70% of its range over the past 30 years, it frequently appears in news reports on endangered wildlife.
Reference standards: coach bus ~12 m, mid-size car ~4.9 m, compact car ~1 t, basketball hoop 3.05 m, credit card 8.56 cm.
Site-computed relative index from recorded values; not a formal scientific metric.
📖 1. Overview
The Ili Pika is a large pika living only on rocky cliffs of the eastern Tian Shan mountains in Xinjiang, China. Its range has shrunk by about 70% over the past 30 years, placing it in danger of extinction.
🦴 2. Anatomy & Morphology
Its back fur is gray while its forehead, hind legs, and nape are reddish brown and its muzzle is pale. Its large, round ears are covered with long reddish-brown hair, and its distinctive coloring sets it apart from other pikas.
🔍 3. Ecology & Behavior
It eats green plants and stores piles of dried hay in rock crevices. Active throughout the day, it is rarely seen above ground, makes almost no vocalizations, defends solitary territories, and breeds from May to September.
🇰🇷 4. Connection to Korea
No direct record connecting this species to Korea has been found.
📚 Sources & References
- • IUCN Red List EN (2019) — https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/15050/45179204
- • IUCN Red List category EN — latest assessment at iucnredlist.org
- • mammaldiversity.org — 1001163
- • iucnredlist.org — 45179204
- • wikidata.org — Q1508891
- • zenodo.org — 6620042
- • Silhouette: PhyloPic — Margot Michaud · CC0 1.0 (Congeneric silhouette — Ochotona princeps)
Recorded dimensions are widely cited representative estimates from public literature and may vary by study or specimen.