The Sichuan pika belongs to the subgenus <Conothoa> and was once classified as a synonym of the red-eared pika. In Muli, Sichuan, a new subspecies (<O. gloveri muliensis>) was once named. Later, many people regarded it as an independent species. Liu Shaoying et al. (2016) confirmed through molecular systematics that it is still a subspecies of the Sichuan pika. The Sichuan pika is endemic to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and is mainly distributed in the rocky shrub environment of the dry river valley. It has a high altitude, with the lowest altitude of 1700m (Maoxian, Sichuan), generally between 2700-4200m, and the highest reaching 4500m. It is a key species in the dry river valley shrub ecosystem.
This species is listed in the 2013 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species ver3.1—Vulnerable (VU).
