Anyone who has been hiking above timberline in the Western mountains has likely heard the loud, high-pitched call of the pika. Resembling a chunky, large-eared hamster, pikas are actually members of the rabbit family; a variety of species are found across the globe and are also known as coneys or rock rabbits.
Favoring rocky slopes and boulder fields, pikas spend much of the day foraging for alpine vegetation which they add to their sheltered haystacks; once the plant material dries out, they take it into their burrows for bedding and nourishment. When not gathering food, these cold-loving mammals perch on boulders to survey and protect their territory. Despite their small size, pikas remain active through the winter, relying on lichen and matted alpine plants if their hay supply runs out.
Usually mating by mid spring, females give birth to 3-4 young after a four-week gestation and nurse them for another month. By then, the young pikas are on their own and, if not killed by golden eagles, hawks, coyotes or weasels, will be full grown by the end of summer. Adult females often raise a second litter after the first group leaves the den.
