Like other species of pika found in North America, the Ili pika lives at high elevations-between 9,200 and 13,450 feet (2,800 to 4,100 meters)-and subsists mainly on grasses, herbs, and other mountain plants. Li caught a specimen and sent it to a scientist at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, who said he believed the pika was a new species.Īlthough Li couldn't find any more pikas on a second trip to the area in December 1983, a third trip in 1985 was more successful, and the additional specimens allowed academy researchers to confirm that the Ili pika was new to science. The animal was about 8 inches (20 centimeters) long, with large ears and several small brown spots in its gray fur. Li wasn't familiar with the species, nor were nearby herdsmen. It was eaten by Borsalino, also known as. 2 It enables the user to move at the speed of light and transport themself by means of reflection. As he edged closer, Li got a look at its whole body. Current User: The Pika Pika no Mi is a Logia -type Devil Fruit that allows the user to create, control, and transform into light at will, turning the user into a Light Human (, Hikari Ningen). As Li explored a valley by Jilimalale Mountain, he saw a small, gray head sticking out from a crack in the rock. In 1983, the Chinese government sent Li to the mountainous Xinjiang Province to study natural resources and infectious diseases. They were very excited," said Tatsuya Shin, a naturalist in China who works with the pika's discoverers. "They found it hiding behind a rock, and they realized they had found the pika. At noon one day, as they were setting up camera traps, the team spotted their prize.Ī curious pika emerged from a gap in the cliff face, and Li snapped a few photos (including the one above). Weidong Li, the species' original discoverer and a scientist at the Xinjiang Institute for Ecology and Geography, had gathered a group of volunteers in the Tianshan Mountains for some pika searching. Then, in summer 2014, researchers rediscovered the pika. (Also see " Newly Discovered Carnivore Looks Like Teddy Bear.") In fact, people have spotted only 29 live individuals, and little is known about the animal's ecology and behavior. People have seen the furry critter only a handful of times since it was discovered by accident in 1983. You could call it one of the world's longest games of hide and seek.įor more than 20 years, the Ili pika (Ochotona iliensis), a type of tiny, mountain-dwelling mammal with a teddy bear face, had eluded scientists in the Tianshan Mountains (map) of northwestern China.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |