Rock-dwelling pikas have small litters of less than five young, while the burrowing species tend to give birth to more young, and to breed more frequently, possibly due to a greater availability of resources in their native habitats. Rock-dwelling pikas have a vocal repertoire of two calls, while burrowing pikas have a number of different vocalizations. Once the grasses dry out, the pikas take this hay back to the burrows for storage.Įach rock-dwelling pika stores its own “haypile” of dried vegetation, while burrowing species often share food stores with their burrow mates. Pikas do not hibernate, so they rely on collected hay for warm bedding and food. They show their peak activity before the winter season. Pikas are diurnal or crepuscular, with higher altitude species generally being more active during the daytime. These animals are herbivores, and feed on a wide variety of plant matter, including forbs, grasses, sedges, shrub twigs, moss, and lichen. Their fur is long and soft and is generally grayish-brown in colour, although a few species are rusty red. They are about 15 to 23 centimeters (5.9 to 9.1 in) in body length and weigh between 120 and 350 grams (4.2 and 12.3 oz), depending on species. Pikas are notable for their short, rounded ears, lack of a tail, and round body. The average lifespan of pikas is about 7 years in the wild. The large-eared pika of the Himalayas and nearby mountains is found at heights of more than 6,000 meters (20,000 ft) above sea level, among the highest of any mammal. Pikas are found in two distinct habitats: broken rock (talus) habitat or in meadow, steppe, forest, and shrub habitats. The two species found in North America are the American pika, found primarily in the mountains of the western United States and far southwestern Canada, and the collared pika of northern British Columbia, the Yukon, western Northwest Territories, and Alaska. Pikas are native to cold climates, mostly in Asia, North America, and parts of Eastern Europe.
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