This is a pika. It's scientific family name is Ochotonidae. There are several types of pikas. You might think pikas are related to guinea pigs or gerbils but they are not. Believe it or not, they are related to the rabbit and hare family. next
|
This is a pika. It's scientific family name is Ochotonidae. There are several types of pikas. You might think pikas are related to guinea pigs or gerbils but they are not. Believe it or not, they are related to the rabbit and hare family. next |
|
|
|
A pika has rounded ears and no tail at all. It has whiskers and dark eyes. The slit between its upper lip and nostrils is called a "hare lip" just like the rabbit's. It's fur keeps it warm. |
|
|
To see a short movie of the pika, click on the icon. When the movie is fully loaded and the lower task bar says "Document Done," click the forward arrow on the movie controller bar to view it. When you want to return, click the "Back" button. |
 . 
|
|
Pikas are usually between 5 and 7 inches long. That's about the same length of a dollar bill. They can weigh from 3 to 11 ounces. They have large insisors (front teeth) and back teeth good for chewing plants. Click on these two movie icons to see the skull and teeth of a pika. next |
|
|
|
This pika is leaning up on a twig trying to pull the leaves off. To hear what a pika sounds like, click each speaker. One is just one pika, the other is many.
|
|
Pikas are herbivores. They make hay by drying plants and grasses out in the sun before storing them in their burrows for food in the winter. They gather berries, leaves, and thistles. They must gather enough food in the summer and fall to last them all winter long. next |
 |
Pikas like to sit in the sun and warm themselves. Rocks absorb heat from the sun and this helps to warm the pika, too. |
|
|
Pikas are the prey (food) for predators such as cougars, wolves, brown bears and eagles. If pikas stray too far from their burrows, they may not be able to find safety in time before they are caught. next |
|
Pikas make their homes in burrows and rocky crevices. They live in the mountains of western North America and northeastern and central Asia. next |
|
CD-Roms, and videos. |
