As the snow disappears from higher elevations in the west, mountain hikes are once again becoming possible. That's where you'll meet our Species of the Month, although you are more likely to hear it than to see it. The American pika, though it looks rather mousy, is actually related to rabbits. Living high up in the rocky slopes of the Cascades, Sierras, and Rockies, it lets out a high pitched squeal as an alarm call when it spots a potential predator or passing hiker.
Scientific name: Ochotona princeps
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| Pika adding to its cache of food (NPS) |
Scientific name: Ochotona princeps
Kingdom: Animalia (animals)
Class: Mammalia (mammals)
Order: Lagomorpha (hares, pikas, rabbits)
Order: Lagomorpha (hares, pikas, rabbits)
Range: Mountains of western North America from British Columbia south to New Mexico
Habitat: Talus fields within mountain meadows
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| Pika on the rocks (NPS) |
Lifespan: Up to seven years, average is three years
Diet: Grasses and forbs
Predators: Weasels, coyotes, raptors, martens, foxes, bobcats
Conservation Status: No special protection, though seven subspecies are considered vulnerable
Other information: This little critter looks like a big, chunky mouse or a rabbit with short ears. They are active during the day, gathering plants during the summer for immediate consumption and also to stockpile for the long winter ahead. Pikas build haypiles of grasses and forbs, selecting plants with the highest protein content they can find. Haypiles are kept outside during the summer to dry, then moved to the den for winter. Pikas do not hibernate; they remain awake in a tiny cave within the rocks and under the snow, eating their way through that haypile. Like other lagomorphs, they frquently consume their scats. Food is not totally digested, so they eat the scat to absorb more nutrients. Eating it a second time more fully breaks down the plant material. Pikas communicate though alarm calls and scent marking. Scent glands are on the cheek. They rub their cheeks on rocks to mark their territory.
Look for pikas at Mowich Lake in Mount Rainier National Park. This week's information once again comes from the good people at UM's Animal Diversity Web.
Diet: Grasses and forbs
Predators: Weasels, coyotes, raptors, martens, foxes, bobcats
Conservation Status: No special protection, though seven subspecies are considered vulnerable
Other information: This little critter looks like a big, chunky mouse or a rabbit with short ears. They are active during the day, gathering plants during the summer for immediate consumption and also to stockpile for the long winter ahead. Pikas build haypiles of grasses and forbs, selecting plants with the highest protein content they can find. Haypiles are kept outside during the summer to dry, then moved to the den for winter. Pikas do not hibernate; they remain awake in a tiny cave within the rocks and under the snow, eating their way through that haypile. Like other lagomorphs, they frquently consume their scats. Food is not totally digested, so they eat the scat to absorb more nutrients. Eating it a second time more fully breaks down the plant material. Pikas communicate though alarm calls and scent marking. Scent glands are on the cheek. They rub their cheeks on rocks to mark their territory.
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| Pika (NPS) |
Look for pikas at Mowich Lake in Mount Rainier National Park. This week's information once again comes from the good people at UM's Animal Diversity Web.
Looks a lot like a Degu, are they related?
ReplyDeleteNo, a degu is a rodent and a pika is in the rabbit family
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