Pika

Haymakers

Pikas are one of the few mammals that make hay. During summer, they spend hours each day cutting grasses, sedges, and wildflowers, carrying them in bundles to their dens, and spreading them on warm rocks to dry. These “haypiles” can contain several kilograms of dried plant material and represent the pika’s entire winter food supply. Pikas do not hibernate — they remain active under the snow, sustained by their hay stores through months of winter.

Heat intolerance

Pikas are unusually sensitive to heat and are considered a sentinel species for climate change. They cannot thermoregulate effectively at temperatures above about 25°C and will overheat within hours if exposed to sustained warmth. As temperatures rise, pika populations at lower elevations are moving upslope to find cooler conditions — but the higher they go, the less mountain remains above them. At the highest elevations, populations are already locally extinct in areas where they were present 50–100 years ago.

The alarm call

Pikas produce a distinctive, sharp, high-pitched nasal squeak — a single “eek” repeated at intervals when alarmed. This call is used to alert other pikas to predators (birds of prey, weasels, and fox). Each pika occupies a territory of roughly 600 m² and calls to defend it from neighbours. The calls echo off talus slopes and are often the first indication of pika presence in suitable habitat.

Not a rodent

Despite their small, round-eared, mouse-like appearance, pikas are lagomorphs — relatives of rabbits and hares, not rodents. They have 28 teeth (like rabbits) and two rows of upper incisors, distinguishing them from rodents. Their closest relatives are the larger rabbit and hare species.