Pikas start and then quit haying earlier in years following little snow and early spring. The timing of haying seems to correlate to the amount of precipitation from the previous winter. They also make 13 trips per hour to collect vegetation when haying, up to a little over 100 trips per day. Since they do not hibernate, pikas have greater energy demands than other montane mammals. They feed throughout the year while haying is limited to the summer. Pikas have two different ways of foraging they directly consume food (feeding) or they cache food in haypiles to use for a food source in the winter (haying). Although a pika can meet its water demand from the vegetation eaten, it does drink water if it is available in its environment. It eats a large variety of green plants, including different kinds of grasses, sedges, thistles, and fireweed. The American pika is a generalist herbivore. However, they can enlarge their homes by digging. Pikas rely on existing spaces in the talus for homes and do not dig burrows. Intolerant of high diurnal temperatures, in the northern portion of their range, they may be found near sea level, but in the south they are rare below 2,500 m (8,200 ft). Pikas are restricted to cool, moist microhabitats on high peaks or watercourses. They generally reside in scree near or above the tree line. Pikas usually have their den and nest sites below rock around 0.2–1 m in diameter, but often sit on larger and more prominent rocks. Sometimes, they live in man-made substrate such as mine tailings and piles of scrap lumber. Pikas inhabit talus fields that are fringed by suitable vegetation on alpine areas. In relation to the distribution of the American pika, the collared pika is located farther north and is separated by a gap of about 500 miles (800 km) extending across British Columbia and Alberta. Of the 30 existing species of pika, it is one of only two which inhabit North America, along with the collared pika ( O. The American pika can be found throughout the mountains of western North America, from central British Columbia and Alberta in Canada to the US states of Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, California, and New Mexico. This individual was at 603 m (1,978 ft) above sea level in Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. Males are called bucks and females are called does like rabbits. The dense underfur is usually slate gray- or lead-colored. During winter, the fur becomes grayer and longer. The dorsal fur of the pika ranges from grayish to cinnamon-brown, often colored with tawny or ochraceous hues, during the summer. The fur color of the pika is the same for both sexes, but varies by subspecies and season. It has a slightly rounded skull with a broad and flat preorbital region. The pika's "buried" tail is longer relative to body size compared to other lagomorphs. The ears are moderately large and suborbicular, and are hairy on both surfaces, normally dark with white margins. It has densely furred soles on its feet except for black pads at the ends of the toes. The hind legs of the pika do not seem to be much longer than its front legs and its hind feet are relatively short when compared to most other lagomorphs. The American pika is intermediate in size among pikas. In populations with sexual dimorphism, males are slightly larger than females. Their hind feet range from 25 to 35 mm (1–1½ in). Their body lengths range from 162 to 216 mm (6.4 to 8.5 in). However, the American pika is overall considered a species of Least Concern, and is still common in the northwestern United States and Canada.Īmerican pikas, known in the 19th century as "little Chief hares", have a small, round, ovate body. Recent studies suggest populations in the southwestern United States are declining due to habitat loss and global warming. Predators of the pika include eagles, hawks, coyotes, bobcats, foxes, and weasels. Pikas are vocal, using both calls and songs to warn when predators are nearby and during the breeding season. Pikas have two different ways of foraging they either directly consume food or they cache food in piles for the winter (haying). They are herbivorous, smaller relatives of rabbits and hares. The American pika ( Ochotona princeps), a diurnal species of pika, is found in the mountains of western North America, usually in boulder fields at or above the tree line. American pika carrying forget-me-not flowers and grass to build its nest in Cawridge, Alberta, Canada
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