%0 Journal Article
%T POPULATION AND COMPARATIVE BEHAVIOUR OF OCHOTONA ROYLEI AND OCHOTONA MACROTIS IN GOSAINKUNDA AREA, LANGTANG NATIONAL PARK, NEPAL
%A Narayan P. Koju
%A Mukesh K. Chalise
%A Randall C Kyes
%J Ecoprint: An International Journal of Ecology
%P 57-62
%D 2012
%R 10.3126/eco.v19i0.9853
%X Study on the behavior of pika (Ochotona roylei and O. macrotis) was carried out during the monthsof July and August 2011 in Gosainkunda, Langtang National Park (LNP), Nepal. Pika inhabits in thetalus habitats of the alpine area. Tharepati (3651 m asl), Phedi (3825 m asl), Gosainkunda (4436 masl), and Laurebina (3903 m asl) were selected for behavior recording. Quadrates of 50 m กม 50 mwere randomly plotted at each site except in Phedi. Only two species of pika were recorded in thoseareas: Ochotona macrotis was 75 individuals and Ochotona roylei 49 individuals. The ratio of agegroup adult and infant in O. macrotis was 29:46 and O. roylei 16:33 population with density 21/haand14/ha, respectively. Eleven pikas were observed for 455 min to record their behaviour from 5:30AM to 19:30 PM in each day. Feeding, foraging, musing, grooming, chasing each other (playing)were the recorded behavior. They were active at dawn and dusk but were not observed during rainyperiod. They spent their 26% of time in feeding, 24% in musing, 16% in foraging, and 11% ingrooming. Pikas were observed digging soft rocks, soil and mosses on the rock before dischargingpellets.
%K Ochotona macrotis
%K Ochotona roylei
%K Behavior
%K Nepal
%U http://www.nepjol.info/index.php/ECO/article/view/9854