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Listen up! This tiny little fur ball is facing some big problems. As a distant relative of the rabbit, it loves hanging out on mountains, which has made it a symbol of climate change as its historical range changes. Today let’s enjoy a few facts about the American pika (Ochotona princeps).

Pikas are adopted to live in places most mammals wouldn’t hang out. They like the colder “alpine” terrain found in mountains. Often the critters scurry about on rocks above the tree line – where winds can be fierce.

As climate change accelerates, conservationists and scientists are concerned about the impact on pika habitat. These mammals have evolved some big furry coats to stay warm on cold mountains. But if those alpine areas heat up, pikas can run out of the cool habitat they need, which may put the species in danger of dying off.

Because they’re herbivores, these little fur balls love to chomp away on plants. They also love to plan. Pikas don’t hibernate, which means it can be tough finding plants on mountain tops in the cold winter months. To get ready, pikas collect lots of greens before it gets cold – setting them out in the sun so they’ll dry and won’t mold once stored in a pika den.

Dens are scattered in scree – a fancy science name for so-called “talus fields,” which is an even fancier name for areas where rock accumulates at the base of a mountain. It gets there by periodically falling off nearby cliff faces, and provides ideal homes for little pikas, which aren’t crazy about digging burrows.

Males are called “bucks.” Females are “does.”

(Image Credits: Creative Commons, Rick Cameron / Source: Inside Climate News, Pika (Ochotona princeps) losses from two isolated regions reflect temperature and water balance, but reflect habitat area in a mainland region, Wikimedia Commons, National Wildlife Federation, American Pika Federal Petition)

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I sure love a pika. -Emily

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