Ochotona alpina occurs in mountain regions of Russia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, and China. Summer coat color varies among populations from yellowish gray to reddish brown.
The 2018 account describes summer backs ranging from light yellowish gray to bright ochre, rusty ochre, dark brown ochre, or reddish brown. The flanks are rusty and the underside pale yellowish ochre or pale reddish brown.
The IUCN assessment reports it among vegetated rocky areas and talus. It is a herbivore that gathers food into haypiles and is primarily active by day.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.