Pika

For other uses, see Pika (disambiguation).

Pika[2]
Temporal range: Miocene–Holocene, 16.4–0 Ma[1]
American pika (Ochotona princeps)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Lagomorpha
Family: Ochotonidae
Thomas, 1897
Genus: Ochotona
Link, 1795
Type species
Ochotona daurica
Link, 1795
(Lepus dauuricus Pallas, 1776)
Species

See text

A pika (/ˈpaɪkə/ PEYE-kə[3] or /ˈpiːkə/ PEE-kə[4]) is a small, mountain-dwelling mammal native to Asia and North America. With short limbs, a very round body, an even coat of fur, and no external tail, they resemble their close relative, the rabbit, but with short, rounded ears.[5] The large-eared pika of the Himalayas and nearby mountains lives at elevations of more than 6,000 m (20,000 ft).

The name "pika" appears to be derived from the Tungus pika,[6] and the scientific name Ochotona is derived from the Mongolian word ogotno, оготно, which means pika.[7] It is used for any member of the Ochotonidae (/ɒkətoʊnɪdeɪ/),[8] a family within the order of lagomorphs, the order which also includes the Leporidae (rabbits and hares). They are the smallest animal in the lagomorph group.[9] Only one genus, Ochotona[8] (/ɒkəˈtoʊnə/ or /ɒtʃəˈtoʊnə/), is extant within the family, covering 37 species, though many fossil genera are known. Another species, the Sardinian pika, belonging to the separate genus Prolagus, has become extinct within the last 2000 years owing to human activity.

Pikas prefer rocky slopes and graze on a range of plants, primarily grasses, flowers, and young stems. In the autumn they pull hay, soft twigs, and other stores of food under rocks to eat during the long, cold winter.[10] The pika is also known as the whistling hare because of its high-pitched alarm call it gives when alarmed. The two species found in North America are the American pika, found primarily in the mountains of the western United States and far southwestern Canada, and the collared pika of northern British Columbia, the Yukon, western Northwest Territories and Alaska.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Ge13 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Hoffman, R.S.; Smith, A.T. (2005). "Order Lagomorpha". In Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 185–193. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
  3. ^ "Pika". Collins Dictionary online. Harper-Collins. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  4. ^ "Pika". Oxford English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
  5. ^ Breyer, M. (2 September 2016). "Meet the 'mouse-bunny' that could vanish from the US". treehugger.
  6. ^ Harper, Douglas. "pika". Online Etymology Dictionary.
  7. ^ General pika information Archived 2017-05-10 at the Wayback Machine. twycrosszoo.org
  8. ^ a b Lydekker, Richard (1911). "Pica" . In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 21 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 575.
  9. ^ "American Pika". National Wildlife Federation. Retrieved 2023-10-19.
  10. ^ Walters, Martin (2005). Encyclopedia of animals. Parragon. p. 203. ISBN 978-1-40545-669-2.