Endangered Pikas
Pikas might look like a hamster or large rodent, but they are in fact related to rabbits and hares. There are approximately 20 different species of pikas, all but two found in Europe and Asia. These mountain dwellers are sometimes refered to as "rock rabbits," "whistling hares," and "coneys."
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Description
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Pikas are small hamster-like mammals with stocky bodies, short legs and rounded ears. Their tails are so small as to appear non-existent. They have thick fur and sharp claws to aide them in climbing over rocks. Pikas have excellent vision and hearing and are very vocal, using their bleating calls to warn others of predators. A full-grown pika weighs about 5 ounces and is between 6 and 8 inches long.
Habitat
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Pikas are found in western North America, Asia and parts of eastern Europe. They live in colonies on rock-covered hillsides in mountainous regions. Pikas make burrows in rock crevices and around boulders. They are always close to vegetation, their main food source.
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Lifestyle
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Pikas will often mate in early spring, with females usually giving birth to two to four young in late spring and early summer. The babies become weaned at around four weeks, when they are old enough to leave their mother. Pikas are diurnal, meaning they are active during the day. Being herbivores, they spend much of their time foraging for food that includes grasses, weeds and shrub leaves. These are then put into haystacks that are then dried by the sun. Because pikas don't hibernate, these haystacks become their main source of food during cold winter months.
Predators
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Pikas are very territorial and will sound an alarm call to their neighbors to alert them of danger. The main predator of pikas is the weasel, which, because of its small size, can find pikas in their burrows or between rocks. Other predators include eagles, hawks, owls and occasionally foxes.
Endangered?
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The American pika might be in danger. Because of global climate change and human encroachment, the pikas have been steadily moving their colonies to higher and higher elevations in the Sierra Nevada and Rocky Mountain regions. Without their vegetation, pikas could very well become extinct. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has reached the conclusion the pika may need protected status under the Endangered Species Act and is currently conducting a review of the situation.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Photo courtesy of Mahalie
