Pika! I love these little critters! Pikas look and act like a cross between a guinea pig, rabbit, and marmot. You can spot these tennis ball-sized "rock rabbits" skittering around in the rocky areas of higher elevations, usually above the tree line. They are adapted to the cold and they go into distress in temperatures higher than 78 degrees Fahrenheit. I've found these little guys in the Cascades and in Rocky Mountain National Park, but they don't sit still for long and they're tiny, so they're tough to photograph.
Think you've stocked up for the winter? Pfft! Pikas have got you beat! They know that serious snowfall is heading their way, so while the weather is good and fresh food is available, they collect the plants, lay their collection out to dry so that the plants don't mold, then after the plants are dry the pikas store their hay piles for the winter.
So today, think like a Pika and follow the old proverb: Make hay while the sun shines!
Think you've stocked up for the winter? Pfft! Pikas have got you beat! They know that serious snowfall is heading their way, so while the weather is good and fresh food is available, they collect the plants, lay their collection out to dry so that the plants don't mold, then after the plants are dry the pikas store their hay piles for the winter.
So today, think like a Pika and follow the old proverb: Make hay while the sun shines!
