NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Ochotona (Ochotona) sikimaria Thomas, 1922
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
The image is of a Himalayan Pika taken in Lungthung, Sikkim. This is a young Ochotona thibetana sikimaria
Akash Maity · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Image sourceProvider-generated thumbnail requested at 800 pixels; no local editing Local WebP display rendition; resized without cropping.
Open encyclopedia reference
The Sikkim pika (Ochotona sikimaria), or Sijin pika, is a species of pika known from the state of Sikkim in northeastern India. It was first described by Oldfield Thomas in 1922, but was classified as a subspecies of the Moupin pika (O. thibetana), O. t. sikimaria, until 2016, at which point it was determined to be a distinct species based on the size of its auditory bullae and DNA analysis. The species' separation was supported by later analyses of mitochondrial DNA in cytochrome b. It is closely related to the Nubra pika (O. nubrica).
The species is thought to be endangered due to habitat destruction.
Wikipedia contributors, Sikkim pika; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T13:46:40.939856+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Ochotona (Ochotona) sikimaria Thomas, 1922
- Name authority
- Thomas, 1922
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Mammalia
- Order
- Lagomorpha
- Family
- Ochotonidae
- Genus
- Ochotona
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classMammalia Linnaeus, 1758
- subclassTheria Parker & Haswell, 1897
- infraclassEutheria Gill, 1872
- orderLagomorpha Brandt, 1855
- familyOchotonidae Thomas, 1897
- genusOchotona Link, 1795
- subgenusOchotona Link, 1795
- speciesOchotona (Ochotona) sikimaria Thomas, 1922
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Ochotona. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Alpine PikaOchotona (Pika) alpina (Pallas, 1773) | OchotonidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Gansu PikaOchotona (Ochotona) cansus Lyon, 1907 | OchotonidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Black-lipped PikaOchotona (Ochotona) curzoniae (Hodgson, 1858) | OchotonidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Forrest's PikaOchotona (Conothoa) forresti Thomas, 1923 | OchotonidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Glover's PikaOchotona (Conothoa) gloveri Thomas, 1922 | OchotonidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Northern PikaOchotona (Pika) hyperborea (Pallas, 1811) | OchotonidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Large-eared PikaOchotona (Conothoa) macrotis (Günther, 1875) | OchotonidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Ochotona (Pika) mantchurica Thomas, 1909 | OchotonidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Nubra PikaOchotona (Ochotona) nubrica Thomas, 1922 | OchotonidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Ochotona (Pika) opaca Argyropulo, 1939 | OchotonidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Mongolian PikaOchotona (Pika) pallasi (Gray, 1867) | OchotonidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Little PikaOchotona (Lagotona) pusilla (Pallas, 1769) | OchotonidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Ochotona thibetana sikimaria Thomas, 1922 Thomas, 1922 | synonym |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=1089999 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:48DGW. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.