Ochotona pusilla (Pallas, 1769) . Nova Comm. Imp. Acad. Sci. Petropoli, 13:531.

TYPE LOCALITY: "in campis circa Volgam... "; restricted by Ognev (1940) to Samarsk Steppe, near Buzuluk, left bank of Samara River [Orenburgsk ObL Russia] .

DISTRIBUTION: Steppes from middle Volga (Russia), east and south through N Kazakhstan to upper Irtysh River and Chinese border. Not yet recorded in China.

STATUS: Disappearance from W end of its range within historic times was probably caused by elimination of preferred shrub-steppe habitat (Kuz'mina, 1965). Some pop. are listed as rare in the "Red Book" of Bashkir Aut. Rep. (A. T. Smith et al., 1990).

SYNONYMS: angustifrons Argyropulo, 1932; minutus Pallas, 1771.

COMMENTS: Formerly included nubrica (= lama), forresti, and osgoodi (a subspecies of thibetana); see comments therein.