Aside from rushing to and fro from their territory seeking food, American pikas spend much of their time sitting still, observing their surroundings, and watching out for predators such as weasels, coyotes, martens, and stoats.Pikas are thought to have evolved from an animal from Siberia that crossed to North America over the land bridge that used to exist between Asia and Alaska.Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) however, its numbers today are decreasing. There are no estimates of population numbers for American pika. As it has adapted to living in mountainous areas that are not often above freezing temperatures, it can die even after only a few hours of exposure to temperatures like 78 degrees F. As temperatures rise, animals living in the mountains may move higher to find suitable habitat but this option is not open to the American pika, as it already lives so high up. This species is particularly vulnerable to this danger, as its habitat is the cool, relatively moist alpine climate. A study carried out from 1994 to 1999 found that 7 out of 25 American pika populations that were monitored had become extinct, partly due to climate change. The major threat to American pikas is global climate change, this species being in line to become the first North American mammal to be a victim of this threat. Their call sounds like a bleating lamb, but squeakier and more high-pitched. You will often hear a pika before you can see it, as they call and sing to define or protect their territory, warn others of danger and attract mates. They eat stored grasses and venture out to forage if the weather permits. In winter they tend to spend most of their time inside the den. These tiny animals are active during the daytime and do not hibernate in winter, being active throughout the year. However, they can enlarge their homes by digging. They rely on existing spaces in the talus for homes and do not dig burrows. 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. An individual will make territorial calls to define its boundaries with its neighbor. Although this species lives in colonies, they are extremely territorial over the den and surrounding area. They live close to other pikas and they will alert the group about predators by giving a warning call. These animals help protect themselves through their life in colonies. Males are called bucks and females are called does like rabbits.Īmerican pikas are adapted to very inhospitable environments, living where most other mammals avoid going - the treeless slopes on mountains: a very rocky, cold, and treacherous habitat for the tiny pika. 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). American pikas, known in the 19th century as "little Chief hares", have a small, round, ovate body.
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