The mitochondrial DNA of the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) contains a tandem array of 153-bp repeats in the vicinity of the replication origin of the H-stand. Variation among molecules in the number of these repeats results in inter- and intraindividual length polymorphism (heteroplasmy). Generally, in an individual, one predominant molecular type is observed, the others representing ...

The collared pika, Ochotona rufescens has been recorded as a serious pest in apple orchards in the uplands valley of Ziarat in Baluchistan. In the winter, when the natural vegetation is lacking, the pikas debark the apple tree trunks or branches resulting in the killing of the tree and reduced fruit production. In summer, damage to wheat, corn and potatoes is also very severe. It is estimated t...

In three species of small therian mammals (Scandentia: Tupaia glis, Rodentia: Galea musteloides and Lagomorpha: Ochotona rufescens) the net joint forces and torques acting during stance phase in the four kinematically relevant joints of the forelimbs (scapular pivot, shoulder joint, elbow joint, wrist joint) and the hindlimbs (hip joint, knee joint, ankle joint, intratarsal joint) were determin...

one of the most struggling issues for conservationists and wildlife managers is the climate change. this can be the necessity to develop climate condition indicators. due to the limited movements and special habitat conditions, pikas can be considered as reliable climate indicators. in this study, the most important climatic factors defining the distribution of this species were investigated to...

The karyotype of the Tsing-Ling (Huanghe) pika, Ochotona huangensis Matschie, 1908 from the forest habitats of the Qinling Mountains (Shaanxi Province, China) was described for the first time. The chromosome set contains 42 chromosomes (NFa=80). The autosomes are 15 meta-submetacentric pairs and 5 subtelocentric pairs. The X chromosome is a medium sized submetacentric; the Y chromosome is a sma...

Sacoglossans are characterized by the ability to sequester functional chloroplasts from their algal diet through a process called kleptoplasty, enabling them to photosynthesize. The bacterial diversity associated with sacoglossans is not well understood. In this study, we coupled traditional cultivation-based methods with 454 pyrosequencing to examine the bacterial communities of the chemically...

A new species of porcellanid crab, Petrolisthes tuerkayi n. sp., is described from the Persian Gulf. The new species is closely related to P. rufescens Heller, 1861, but is easily distinguishable by having three or four large spines distally on the posterior margin of the carpus of chelipeds, whereas the posterior margin of the cheliped merus in P. rufescens is unarmed.

Introduction: The Afghan pika (Ochotona rufescens) is a small mammal in the family Ochotonidae. This small mammal occurs in Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan, and Turkmenistan.  Here, we investigated the helminth infections among the Afghan pikas from northeastern Iran. Methods: Fourteen Afghan pikas were entrapped from Bojnord, Mashhad, Birjand, and Tandoureh in the northeast of Iran during 201...