Pikas

Pikas are small rodents (most closely related to rabbits) that live in colder climates in Asia and North America. The ones I saw are American Pikas and tend to live at higher elevations in the western USA – so I saw them while in Colorado. They were quite elusive for me for a while until I managed to get a couple individuals that seemed to be a bit calmer than others on two separate hikes. They tend to live at higher elevations (I think all of the ones I encountered were above 10k feet) on rocky slopes which give them plenty of quick hiding spots and the ability to pop up just about anywhere. I also learned that they can’t survive temperatures above about 77F, so they are one of those species that is being very directly affected by climate change as things get hotter and they are forced to higher and higher elevations to compensate and also have to shorten their foraging seasons.