American Pika

Ochotona princeps

American Pika. Photo:Peter Mirejovsky

The pika is one of the representative species of the Montane Cordillera; it's inquisitive face can often be spotted peering out from rock slides along mountain trails, where it enjoys sunning itself, confident that its camouflaged coat will protect it from detection. Pikas are known for their vocal antics; its shrill, nasal call sometimes seems to come from all directions, and pikas can be difficult to locate even when they are perched in plain view. Pikas build "haystacks" of dried grasses in preparation for the winter, and some of these foodstores have reached as much as a bushel in volume!

Distribution of American Pika in Canada