Lagomorph Spotlight: Ili Pika

Sometimes, I have a very difficult animal I have to write about. This mainly stems from the fact that the animal is not well-enough covered on the internet. On most occasions, this is because the animal is simply not popular. It can also be very obscure or nearly extinct. In the case of the Ili pika, there are simply not enough of them out there to study. So, why cover them? The answer is simple: I like how they look. It is a very shallow reason, but it is the reason that often inspires me to write.

Well, what do I know about the Ili pika? Long story short: very, very little. I can fit their entire description in this single paragraph. Size: about 8 inches from head to tail. They weigh about half a pound. They have very short and pointy ears. Their fur is brightly colored with rusty-red spots on their forehead, crown, and sides of its neck. They live in rocky, mountainous regions on high cliff faces. They are mainly daytime animals and herbivores too--most lagomorphs are. They can only be found in a very tiny area in northwest China called the Tian Shan mountains. Quite literally, that is all I know about them.

Strangely, this animal was not officially discovered until 1983 by conservationist Li Weidong. It was named, classified, all the normal stuff; however, it dropped off the map after that and was not found again until 2014 by the exact same man! This animal has a tenancy to disappear and pop back up when you least expect it. No wonder it is often referred to as a magic rabbit.

Yes, the Ili pika is basically a rabbit. That is what lagomorph refers to. My mother found this bunny before I did, and she ended up sending a picture of it to my cell phone. At first glance, I thought it was a Scottish terrier dog. It does somewhat resemble one, but if you look close enough, you can make out the rabbit-isms. Honestly, I just love how they look, and I am also fond of their ability to disappear for long periods of time.

There is absolutely no fiction for this extremely obscure animal, but just think about their prolonged disappearing act. It almost sounds like fairy lore, doesn't it? What is this magical and mysterious bunny who travels about China like a ghost? It seems to me like this creature has the potential for a good oral tradition story. I can't really say much of its personality, but it is most certainly the mystery of this animal which opens itself to the imagination. Perhaps, it is as simple as a good luck charm to find one looking at you. And what if you are able to catch one? The possibilities are many.

I hope you enjoy the pictures of the rare Ili pika. There are not that many of them out there. I like them for their looks and their surrounding mystery. Maybe, this really is a magic rabbit.

Thank you for reading my blog! If you enjoyed it, you can comment below, or you can email me at tkwadeauthor@gmail.com. Hop!