Characterization of haying behavior by the Ladakh Pika (Ochotona ladacensis) and the Nubra Pika (Ochotona nubrica) from the Changthang, Ladakh, India.

This article focuses on the food caching and haying behaviors of two pika species—the Ladakh Pika (Ochotona ladacensis) and the Nubra Pika (O. nubrica)—in the cold desert of the Changthang biotic province, Ladakh, India. The study found that the larger, more social O. ladacensis, inhabiting open alpine steppe habitats, constructs larger, more conspicuous haypiles composed of a greater diversity of plant species and places them farther from burrows, often on mounds. In contrast, the smaller, more secretive O. nubrica, living in denser thorny scrub habitats, builds smaller, concealed haypiles closer to burrows, primarily under bushes. The distribution of O. ladacensis haypiles was clumped rather than uniform, contrary to theoretical predictions related to cache defense, and both species included toxic or distasteful plants in their haypiles, likely as an anti-herbivory strategy. These findings provide new insights into how high-elevation pikas adapt their haying strategies to differing social structures, microhabitats, and resource availability in extreme environments.