Family: Ochotonidae, Pikas view all from this family
Description Brownish. Small, rounded ears. No visible tail. L 6 3/8"–8 1/2" (162–216 mm); HF 1 1/8–1 3/8" (30–36 mm); Wt 3 3/4–4 1/2 oz (108–128 g).
Similar Species Collared Pika has pale gray collar.
Breeding Mates in early spring. 2–6 young born May–June; a second litter may be produced in late summer.
Habitat Talus slides; rocky banks; steep, boulder-covered hillsides; usually at elevations of 8,000–13,500' (2,500–4,100 m).
Range Western North America from c British Columbia and w Alberta south to c California and n New Mexico.
Discussion The American Pika feeds on many species of green plants, eating some on the spot and, in late summer, when foraging may continue into evening, scurrying away with cuttings to boulders near its home. It spreads them to dry in the sun, curing its "hay" as a farmer does; haystacks are not high but may contain as much as a bushel of vegetation, primarily grasses and sedges, and also including fireweed, stonecrop, sweetgrass, and thistles. Even when large, piles are moved frequently for better drying or to shelter them from rain. Later the dried vegetation is stored in the pika’s den deep among the rocks. In winter, the American Pika does not hibernate; kept warm by its long, thick fur, it remains active, feeding on stored hay and lichens. Like all pikas, this species is highly vocal. The naturalist Thomas Nuttall, who described the call as "a slender, but very distinct bleat, so like that of a young kid or goat," was astonished when "the mountains brought forth nothing much larger than a mouse." The animal characteristically jerks its body upward and forward with each call, which perhaps explains why calls tend to be ventriloquial, sometimes seeming to come from far off when, in fact, they echo from sources almost underfoot. An observer of pikas once noted a fascinating sequence of events, when a weasel, attempting to capture an American Pika, was chasing it among the rocks. When the pika began to tire, another pika emerged and ran between the weasel and the first pika. The weasel then pursued the newcomer until the larger animal tired and withdrew to find easier prey. While it is not known if such behavior is widespread, it is easy to see how it could have evolved as a defensive response beneficial to the entire community.
