Even rarer than giant pandas! This "cute creature" was photographed again, super cute!

This one

A cute creature that looks like both a mouse and a rabbit

What is

Hello everyone, my name is - Ili Pika !

It is a species endemic to Xinjiang.

Living in the high and cold mountainous area of ​​the Tianshan Mountains

recently

Volunteers photographed the Ili pika in Tianshan, Xinjiang

This is the first time I have taken this photo with a camera in eight years.

Clear photos of the Ili pika

The Ili pika is an endangered species in the world

Currently less than 1,000

And there is good news

The Ili pika showed signs of reproduction!

Let's get to know each other

Cute Ili pika

Ili pika belongs to the order Lagomorpha, family Ochotonidae

Looks like a rabbit and a mouse

There are 3 brown spots on the forehead and sides of the neck

It is a species endemic to my country

It is also currently recognized internationally

There are only 24 species of Pika

The largest species with the largest ears, longest hind legs and largest body size

Some people also think

It looks like a teddy dog

Ili pika likes to live in

High-altitude cold zone between 2800m and 4100m above sea level

Tianshan Mountains in Xinjiang is its only habitat

Stoats, stone martens, foxes and various birds of prey

They are all its natural enemies.

actually

The Ili pika was discovered by accident

July 1983

The Ili Regional Epidemic Prevention Station organized a

Natural epidemic source investigation team

Stationed in the Jirimalale Mountain Valley in Nileke County

Li Weidong as an epidemic prevention worker

Participated in this survey

one day

Li Weidong is investigating on the cliffs

Suddenly, a small animal

A small gray head poked out from the crack in the rock

In an instant, he shrank back

Out of professional sensitivity

He waited patiently, and soon

The little animal cautiously ran out from the crack of the rock

A bit like a gray rabbit, and a bit like a big mouse

About 20 cm in length

The ears are slightly longer than those of a mouse and shorter than those of a rabbit.

This weird image

This immediately aroused Li Weidong's curiosity.

End of investigation

Li Weidong returned to the unit

Consulted a large number of domestic and foreign literature

Preliminary confirmation of a new animal species

After several in-depth field investigations

Ma Yong, a researcher at the Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Completed the seeding study

Confirmed that this is a new species

1986

Li Weidong and Ma Yong

It was officially named Ili pika

The Ili pika is rarer than the giant panda

Therefore, it was included

IUCN (World Conservation Union)

Red List of Threatened Species

Over the years

With the Tianshan No. 1 Glacier Protection Area

The Ili Pika Conservation Area was established

The last habitat of the Ili pika

Was protected

Comments from netizens:

Oh, so cute!!!

I was fascinated at first sight

Protect the environment and life

Hope everything is well with my little cutie

Source: People's Daily Online