Northern Pika

Fascinating facts about the Northern Pika

• Northern pikas do not hibernate, so they remain active throughout the cold season. When snow covers the ground they dig tunnels beneath it, allowing them to reach the dry hay piles they stored earlier in the year. These caches are placed in dry locations and provide a reliable food source during winter months. By accessing the stored material they can survive the harsh conditions without entering a state of dormancy.
• A breeding pair of northern pikas typically produces one litter each year, with up to nine offspring but most litters containing three or four young. In the more southerly parts of their range, the pair may raise two smaller litters within the same breeding season. The gestation period lasts about 28 days, after which the juveniles remain in their parents' territory for a time before dispersing.
• When a northern pika perceives danger it quickly darts back to its burrow, often carrying any food it was holding in its mouth. As it retreats it emits a sharp warning cry known as "Kitz", which serves as an alarm signal to other pikas nearby.
• The northern pika occupies a broad swath of mountainous eastern Asia, stretching from the Urals and the Putorana Plateau through Siberia to Sakhalin Island, northern Mongolia, Manchuria, North Korea and Hokkaido. It lives on scree, rocky slopes and boulder fields, as well as in damp coniferous zones and dry Alpine meadows. Within this range it is usually found between 400 and 2 000 metres altitude, favouring higher ground than the Alpine pika.
• An adult northern pika measures between 12.5 and 18.5 centimetres in body length and has a tail only 0.5 to 1.2 centimetres long, making it a very small mammal. Its small rounded ears and short legs end in five-toed, furry-soles feet, while the fine long hair is reddish-brown in summer and turns much greyer in winter. The underparts are white with a reddish-brown tint and males and females look alike, though size and colour vary across its extensive range.

Sources

Every fact above was checked against these pages, and kept only where one of them states it.

• Wikipedia

At a glance

About the Northern Pika

In the rugged, rocky outcrops of the far north, a diminutive, fluffy figure darts with purpose, its oversized ears twitching as it navigates a labyrinthine world of boulders and scrub. The Northern Pika, a small but resilient inhabitant of these harsh, alpine landscapes, moves with a quiet confidence, its paws barely making a sound as it gathers and stores the plant material that will sustain it through the long, dark winters. With a remarkable ability to thrive in one of the most inhospitable environments on Earth, this tiny, enigmatic creature has evolved a unique and fascinating way of life.

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