Pikas live in the northern parts of North America, Europe and Asia. These ones were sighted in the Yellowstone National Park.
Watch The Sighting:
Judy captured them beautifully on camera, showing their unique lifestyles and habits through a series of clippings. Each moment captured shows a different facet of the pikas unique abilities and predispositions, such as their tendency to gather hay to build hay stacks in preparation for the winter; or their skill at traversing tough and ragged landscapes.
Pikas are usually around 15 to 23cm in length, and weigh between 120 to 350g. That’s pretty small, however, these small animals are impressive in many ways, with qualities which make them seem larger than life.
Small but tough
In spite being cute, small and cuddly, they are able to live in inhospitable environments, being tougher than they appear.
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The little animals go where other animals don’t often venture. This might mean traveling up the slopes of mountains where the terrain is rocky and treacherous.
Pikas love to eat grass, weeds and wildflowers. These are plants typically found in high and rocky mountain areas.
With this diet, they can survive their entire lives in alpine areas.
Industrious under all circumstances
They are in fact relatives of rabbits, but with short, stout little bodies, and rounded ears. Their industrious nature allows them to survive long, hard winters.
They gather hay during the summer months, making piles of this hay. Then during the winter, they are able to survive under the snow, feeding on the stacks of hay.
This ability to survive long, cold winters without hibernating makes them unique. They also have a high metabolic rate which means they can sustain energy when the weather is snowy.
High jumpers and skilled climbers
Having rabbits and hares as a close relative, pikas are also amazing jumpers.
They are able to navigate their way across jagged slopes and rocky outcrops as the sighting shows. They are built to be nimble and quick, and seeing them from so close up is something special.
Dynamite comes in small packages
This one sits like a sentinel looking over its territory. Because they are so small and unassuming one would not expect a pika to be territorial. However, they are in fact very territorial animals and will defend their territory if necessary!
They mark their territory using special scent markings. This way intruders are alerted to keep out!.
This intimate view into the life of pikas is no doubt a reminder that dynamite indeed comes in small packages. One wouldn’t expect such a delicate creature to be such a survivor. However, nature has its way of humbling us and reminding us that small can indeed be big.
While these ones were captured alone on film, pikas actually live in colonies. Living in colonies increases their chance of survival. One can only imagine seeing many of these delightfully cute creatures together.
They are just one of many wonderous creatures which make the Yellowstone National Park a sought-after travel destination for nature lovers.