Wildlife staff have been conducting surveys in alpine areas around McCall. One animal we hear frequently on these visits is the American Pika. Pikas occupy talus slopes in alpine areas throughout the Western United States and Canada. It’s more common to hear pikas than to see them, due to their loud, peeping calls. Here are some other fun facts about pikas:
- Though they look a bit like guinea pigs, they’re actually more closely related to rabbits and hares.
- They are active year-round, but collect massive amounts of vegetation to store and eat during winter months. These piles, stored under talus slopes, can be up to 3 feet wide and hold up to 50 pounds of grasses and forbs!
- Pikas, like other members of the rabbit family, exhibit coprophagy.This means they consume their own feces to extract additional nutrients.
- They have hair on their feet to give them traction while scurrying over rocks.
- Pikas can live for 5-7 years.