American pika[1] | |
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An American pika feeding on grass in the Canadian Rocky Mountains | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Lagomorpha |
Family: | Ochotonidae |
Genus: | Ochotona |
Species: | O. princeps
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Binomial name | |
Ochotona princeps (Richardson, 1828)
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Subspecies[5] | |
O. p. princeps | |
American pika range |
The American pika (Ochotona princeps), a diurnal species of pika, is found in the mountains of western North America, usually in boulder fields at or above the tree line. They are herbivorous, smaller relatives of rabbits and hares.[6] Pikas have two different ways of foraging; they either directly consume food or they cache food in piles for the winter (haying).
Pikas are vocal, using both calls and songs to warn when predators are nearby and during the breeding season. Predators of the pika include eagles, hawks, coyotes, bobcats, foxes, and weasels.
Recent studies suggest populations in the southwestern United States are declining due to habitat loss and global warming.[7] However, the American pika is overall considered a species of Least Concern, and is still common in the northwestern United States and Canada.