**Project overview** This project concerns the winter survival strategies of the plateau pika (*Ochotona curzoniae*) which lives on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau in China. The project is a collaboration between Professor **John R. Speakman** (of the University of Aberdeen Scotland, and the Shenzhen institutes of advanced technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China), Professor **DeHua Wang** (of the Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing) and Professor **Yanming Zhang** (of the Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining). The project collaboration started in 2007. The aim is to understand how the plateau pika, which as lagomorphs are incapable of hibernation, survives the harsh winter climate on the plateau when their grassland food becomes parched. We primarily studied pikas in two study areas between 3400 and 4000m ASL between 2007 and 2020. The data are based on a total of about 20 field trips plus extended periods of study of animals brought to the CAS Northwest Plateau Biology Institute in Xining. The study sites included 2 sites at a study area with high yak densities (3500 m ASL ~3.6km north of Qinghai lake, Gangcha county: 37.25 N, 100.29 E) and 2 sites in a study area with lower yak densities (3900m ASL; Guolou district Maqin county: 34.46 N, 100.36 E). We studied the energy expenditure in the field using the doubly-labelled water technique and resting energy demands in the laboratory using indirect calorimetry. We studied physical activity patterns in the field by filming the animals. Long term body temperature responses were recorded using implanted temperature monitors. We made measurements and experimental manipulations of their energy balance to explore the potential role of the thyroid axis in mediating environmental impacts on energy budgets. Finally we measured the presence of yak DNA in the stomach contents of Pika using PCR and explored the convergence of the pika and yak microbiomes using 16S sequencing. **MAIN FINDINGS (2007-2020)** The main sudy findings are summarised in a paper published in July 2021 in *Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.* DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2100707118 A pdf of the paper is uploaded among the files. **The key findings were as follows** a) Plateau pikas do not deposit a fat store in the fall which they then withdraw over the winter b) Plateau pikas do not build haypiles and do not appear to store food underground - unike the American pika (*Ochotona princeps*). c) daily energy expenditures in winter are lower than those in summer by around 30%, this is despite it being about 25 oC colder in mid-winter. Metabolic scope in mid winter averages 1.6 and in summer 1.98. d) this low expenditure in winter is partly explained by suppression of their winter resting metabolic rate e) pikas moult into a thicker fur in winter that has greater insulation properties - measured directly using the glass bottle method and from whole body thermal conductance. f) pikas modulate their body temperatures in direct relation to the external ambient temperatures. They do not hibernate or enter torpor. The lowest temperature recorded was arund 36 oC. g) Pikas show a profound cycle of body temperature in the field. This seems to be facultively adjusted dependent on the prevailing ambient temperature and food supply. In captivity where it is warm and food abundant the cycle is severely dampened. h) this modulaion of temperature seems mediated via the thyroid axis. i) In winter activity above ground is substantally lower than in the summer. This is particularly so at sites where yak are abundant. j) some pika eat yak feces during winter - as shown by direct observation (see videos), the presence of yak DNA in the stomach contents of pikas and convergence in the microbota of yak and pika in winter. What % of the population eats yak feces is unclear but spot samples form the stomach contents are 25% positive for yak DNA. k) This interspecific corophagy may contribute to understanding why pika are substantially more abundant in areas grazed by domestic yak. **Data availability** This project site contains raw data pertaining to the work performed between 2007 and 2020. It includes the following a) doubly-labelled water measurements for animals in the field in summer and winter from both high and low density yak sites b) body wieght measurements at 4 sites across the winter (Lucasz Oldakowski). c) body temperature measurements for 5 pika from implanted ibuttons across an entire winter d) measurements of RMR of animals brought into captivity in summer and winter (Quinn Fletcher and Xinyu Liu) e) details of yak DNA found in the stomaches of pika across several sites in relaion to the availability of yak feces (Jacques Togo, Stuart Piertney) f) Raw OTUs sequenced by 16s in the feces of pika and yak in summer and winter (Haibo Fu) g) digestibility trials of pika in captivity (Quinn Fletcher and Xinyu Liu) In addition there are two videos showing pikas eating yak feces (taken by Lucasz oldakowski). Plus there are some high res still images of Pikas taken by Qingsheng Chi. **Project Contributors** Many post-docs and students have worked on the project over the past years these have included Dr **Qing-sheng Chi** now at the College of Biology and Agriculture, Zunyi Normal University, 563006 Zunyi, China Dr **Quinn Fletcher** now at Department of Biology and Centre for Forest Interdisciplinary Research, University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, MB R3B 2E9, Canada Dr **Xinyu Liu** now at College of Life Sciences, Shenyang Normal University, 110031 Shenyang, China; Dr **Lukasz Oldakowski** now at Faculty of Biology, University of Bialystok, 15-328 Bialystok, Poland; Dr **Haibo Fu** now at the Qinghai Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological Genomics, NWIPB, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining 810008 Qinghai, China **Dr Jacques Togo** now at the University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland, UK We have collaborated extensively with scientists at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland, UK Dr Catherine Hambly Professor Stuart Piertney Dr Paula Redman Peter Thomson Plus the following students have worked on the project Xinghao Wang Liangzhi Zhang Lu Wang Gangbin Tang Yongguo Li Jianguo Cui Zengli Wang Paula Glover Olivia Robertson **Funding** The project has been funded by The National Natural Science Foundation of China (grants 31670394 and 31570410), The strategic program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (XDB13030100). The National Key Research and Development Program of China (2016YFC0501905-04) A UK-China collaboration grant from the Royal Society and NSFC (NSFC-RS 30711130224). Łucasz Oldakowski was supported by a PIFI2017 (Presidents International Fellowship Initiative 2017).