Pika

Quick Take

• Pikas look like hamsters, but their true family tree holds a surprising twist most people wouldn't guess. Explore their family tree →
• A temperature difference of just one degree can be lethal for pikas, which is why their future is in serious jeopardy. See climate threats →
• Their name traces back to a single peculiar sound, and the story behind it is stranger than you'd expect. Discover the name's origin →
• Some pika populations have shrunk to a fraction of what they once were, and the places they've vanished from may well surprise you. See population losses →

Pikas are small, round-eared mammals that belong to the genus Ochotona, the only living genus in the family Ochotonidae. Although they look a little like hamsters, they are close relatives of rabbits and hares, and most of the roughly 34 species live in the mountains and grasslands of Asia, with two found in North America.

Pika Top Facts

• Pika is an animal that is closely related to the rabbit.
• Pika prefers solitude to company.
• They warn each other of predators nearby.

Evolution

As lagomorphs, pikas are cousins to hares and rabbits, even though it may not seem like it at first glance. This is because they belong to the family Ochotonidae, while the latter belong to the family Leporidae, both of which form the order Lagomorpha.

Their evolution as part of the order is shrouded in mystery. However, scientists have recently come to believe that they are the descendants of mimotonids within the Anagaloidea, which lived during the late Paleocene and early Eocene epochs. As a result, they may also be considered to be the distant relatives of elephant shrews.

The ancestors of pikas, however, appeared in Asia during the Eocene (between 34 and 66 million years ago) and the Oligocene (between 23 and 34 million years ago). Pikas are generally divided into burrowers, which are highly social, and rock dwellers, which are territorial.

Classification and Scientific Name

Pika is part of the Mammalia class and the Ochotonidae family. American Pikas are part of the lagomorph group and are also its smallest members.

The word ‘pika’ dates back to between 1820 and 1830. A German naturalist used it to describe the noise made by the Russian Pika — a word that means to squeak. Since pikas make a shrill sound, the word is used to describe the animal.

Types

There are 34 species of pikas, including:

• American pika (Ochotona princeps): Medium-sized as far as pikas go, this species has a maximum length of 8.5 inches. Towards the southern range of its habitat, it can be found at elevations of 8,200 feet. 
• Chinese red pika (Ochotona erythrotis): One of the largest pika species, the lagomorph is capable of growing to 29 cm (about 11.4 inches). It tends to have a red coat in summer and a gray coat in winter.
• Forrest’s pika (Ochotona forresti): Capable of living at elevations of over 14,000 feet, the pika is capable of growing to over 7 inches. It can be found in the Himalayas in southwestern China and has a dark coat in summer, which lightens to gray in winter.
• Glover’s pika (Ochotona gloveri): Recognizable by its gray-brown coat, this pika is capable of growing up to 8.7 inches in length. Another species that is endemic to China, it can be found in Sichuan, Tibet, Qinghai, and Yunnan. The small mammal is capable of living at elevations of 5,600 feet and can even be found as high as 13,800 feet.
• Pallas’s pika (Ochotona pallasii): The tiny mammal, which has a light-colored coat in summer that darkens in winter, is capable of growing to almost 10 inches and weighing 200 grams. It is found in western Mongolia and is known to play a key role in seed dispersal.

Appearance & Behavior

A Pika’s body is small and short. It has large, round ears. The average Pika is seven or eight inches long. In comparison, a bowling pin is twice as tall as a Pika. They weigh between 2.6 oz and 10 ounces, making them about the same weight as a hamster.

Either black or brown in color, a pika has thick fur so that it doesn’t get cold during the winter months. The dark color of their fur helps them blend in with the rocks found in their natural surroundings.

When the weather warms up, a pika’s coat of fur thins out so it doesn’t get too hot in the sun. However, in extreme heat, their fur is still thick enough that they may suffer.

Pikas live close to each other in colonies. Within their colonies, each one has its own den. They warn each other if a predator is nearby and alert each other by whistling. This is the reason that Pikas have large ears.

Habitat

There are only certain places in the world where you can find a Pika. They are found in a few places in Europe, Asia, and North America.  Mountain meadows are generally located near where pikas live, as pikas often make their homes on cliffs.

Some Pikas live at low altitudes, like those living in California’s Lava Beds National Monument. Pikas can also be found in Western Canada.

Diet

Pikas are herbivorous animals, so their diet consists mainly of plant material. During the day, they will forage for berries, seeds, thistles, grass, and weeds. Living in places with rocky mountain formations, they collect food over the summer to use in winter.

Predators & Threats

Since they are so small, pikas like to live away from other animals. But they are still vulnerable to predators. Weasels are their most common threat. Others include cats, birds of prey, foxes, eagles, coyotes, and dogs.

It isn’t just predators that are a threat to the Pika. Increasingly warm weather is decreasing the Pika population. Pikas prefer temperatures below 77°F and can overheat and die when exposed to temperatures as slightly elevated as 78°F. They are in danger of becoming extinct if the world continues to get warmer.

Reproduction, Babies, and Lifespan

The breeding period for Pikas takes place during the earliest part of the spring. It is not unusual for them to have another breeding period during the summer. When they are ready to breed, a Pika in one territory will call to another Pika in another territory.

Pikas carry babies for one month before the babies are born. The average size of a litter is about three, though litter sizes can vary, with some sources reporting a range of one to four kits.

For the first month of a pika’s life, it must remain with its mother. By the time they are three months old, they are considered adults. When they become one year old, they are old enough to breed. The average lifespan of a Pika is six years. However, due to various circumstances, some only live for three years.

Population

Because of global warming, conservationists have been trying to get pikas declared endangered. As of 2020, this has not happened. Pikas used to live in 29 different places all over California. Now they only live in 11 of those 29 places. This has caused concern among those who are interested in their well-being.

Pikas used to live in Zion National Park in Utah, but can no longer be found there. While some do still live in the Great Basin (located between the Wasatch Mountains in Utah and both the Cascade Mountains and the Sierra Nevada), a study found 44% fewer pikas in that area than previously recorded. In both Nevada and Oregon, the Pika population is believed to be only 1/3 of what it previously was.