Pika - The Rock Rabbit


Maybe the cutest creature on Planet Earth is the Pika.  This cousin to the rabbit and hare weighs in at only five ounces.  Pikas are rarely seen by humans because they live in high altitudes among mountainous rockslides called talus slopes.  In America they reside in the National Parks of Sequoia, Yosemite, Yellowstone, Glacier, Mount Rainier, Kings Canyon and Crater Lake.  Pikas are very popular with the Japanese.  Most of the 19 species of Pikas reside in Asia.

Although Pikas resemble a hamster more than a rabbit, with its rounded ears, short legs, and almost invisible tail, they are very much similar to rabbits.  Pikas have the same inticate digestive system, give birth in the same manner and same time table, and are crepuscular (active at dawn and twilight).  What really sets them apart from rabbits is their "bark" which is really a loud squeak.  The name Pika may be derived from the Russian word "pikat" which means "to squeak".  Their bark is used to warn other Pikas of bird predators and to keep other Pikas out of their territory.  When weasles or ferrets are in the area Pikas become still and silent to avoid  detection because these enemies can enter their burrows.                                                             

Pikas live in colonies (similar to the rabbit's warren).  They work together in the Spring and Summer to accumualte food for the cold winter months since they do not hibernate.  The rest of the year they live solitary lives.  The grasses and wild flowers they collect are made into "haystacks" in places where the sun can dry them out.  These haystacks can reach two feet high with a diameter of two feet.  Then the dried food is stored inside the colony enabling them to survive the winter weather.  

What is vey unique to the Pikas is their sharp, curved claws used for scampering from bolder to rock.  Also unique is their fur being so thick they cannot dissipate heat easily, so they naturally  graviate to the higher altitudes.  Their maximun life span is only three years.

Some Naturalists are lobbying to put Pikas on the endangered species list because in many of the studied areas between the Rocky Mountains and Sierra Nevada Pikas have disappeared.  This would surely be a loss to us all because the Pika is so darn cute.  Be sure to view this three minute video to see what we mean and experience their hilarious "bark":  Pika Barking    For a gallery of pictures of Pikas visit Joan MacKenzee's website dedicated to Pikas:  Pika Photos