American Pika
Ochotona princeps
Pikas do not hibernate; they spend the summer collecting and drying piles of vegetation, known as 'haypiles', to feed on beneath the winter snow.
- Scientific name
- Ochotona princeps
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Chordata › Mammalia › Lagomorpha › Ochotonidae › Ochotona
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- decreasing
- Biome
- tundra
- Habitat
- Alpine talus slopes and boulder fields adjacent to mountain meadows.
- Diet
- Herbivorous, feeding on a wide variety of grasses, sedges, forbs, and mosses.
- Range
- Rocky Mountains, Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, Great Basin
- Size
- 16-21 cm in length, weighing 100-200 grams
- Lifespan
- 3-4 years
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Climate change and rising temperatures, which cause overheating and restrict their upslope movement.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless and non-aggressive. Observe these small mammals from a respectful distance of at least 15 feet to avoid causing them heat stress, as they overheat easily. Do not attempt to touch or feed them. In the extremely unlikely event of a bite (usually only if handled), wash the wound thoroughly with soap and water and monitor for signs of infection.
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. They are herbivorous, smaller relatives of rabbits and hares.
Photo: Jared Shorma, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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