Ochotona (Ochotona) pusilla (Pallas 1769)

[Lepus] 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].

Vernacular Names: Steppe Pika.

Subspecies::

Subspecies Ochotona (Ochotona) pusilla subsp. pusilla Pallas 1769

Subspecies Ochotona (Ochotona) pusilla subsp. angustifrons Argyropulo 1932

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

Conservation: IUCN – Vulnerable (classification refers to subspecies O. p. pusilla only; Formozov, pers. comm).

Discussion: Subgenus Ochotona (Ellerman and Morrison-Scott, 1951) . Formerly included O. nubrica (= lama), O. forresti, and O. osgoodi (a subspecies of thibetana); see comments therein.