Pika
66 creative works found
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Pikas spend the summer gathering food for the long, cold winter – they don’t hibernate. Get too close to their food and they let out a loud EEENK! It took me the better part of the summer of 2007 to catch Larry the pika at full squeak. 1982 views at last count Pikas are an at-risk species due to climate change Mount Evans Wilderness Area / Sony a100 + 750300mm @300mm
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Chu.
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Pikas seem to have 2 speeds – frantic running and stopping to perch on the top of a rock. And when they perch on a rock, they have the huddled down pose with their shoulders bunched around their head – it looks a little awkward. This one has had about enough of me watching him, I believe. It looks like he’s giving me the stink-eye. Pikas are an endangered species due to climate change. Location: Mt Evans Wilderness Area
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This is how you’re supposed to catch them.
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Pikachu’s cute little skull
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Pika howling for all to hear, “Stop Global Warming!” Pikas are also called rock rabbits, products are created using a razor sharp image and large file size. Beautiful T-shirts with different colors and styles are also available with this image: Pika Howling T-shirt A companion image is also available: Sunset Pika Calendars Too: Calendar Gallery
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Pika carrying flowers among the colorful rocks, products are created using a razor sharp image and large file size. Beautiful T-shirts with different colors and styles are also available with this image: Pika Carrying Wildflowers T-shirt Calendars Too: Calendar Gallery
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Gary and I went to Mt Evans on memorial Day weekend, but the weather wasn’t cooperative (almost whiteout conditions around Summit Lake) and we only saw a single pika (well, we weren’t sure he was single – he could have been married, but he was the only one we saw). This was the only pika I saw today who was cooperative enough to pose for me. I do like the back lighting. As they don’t hibernate, they must spend their brief summers gathering grasses and plants. When they gather plants, they stack them into tiny hay bales to dry in the sun, then store them for the winter. In larger pika communities, it’s not unusual for there to be disputes over ownership of the hay bales. These noisy conflicts are at times exploited by nearby predators. Pikas are another species (like marmots) that are considered altruistic – they selflessly keep themselves in danger to bark out a warning to neighbors. They also bark out a warning if you get too close to their little hay bales. They emit a surprisingly loud “EENK!!!” if you get too close. Pikas are endangered due to climate change. They’re considered a “canary in the coal mine” species and are very susceptible to climbing temperatures and seem to be moving to higher and higher altitudes to escape the heat. But there’s a limit to how high they can climb (eventually they run out of mountain). And because of the higher temperatures, they can’ t migrate to a higher peak as that would mean descending to a lower (and hotter) environment to do so. Pika (Ochotona princeps) / Mt Evans Wilderness Area, CO / Sony a700 / Sigma 300mm f/2.8+1.4TC ISO400, 1/800sec, f/2.8
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Pika
by Gary LengyelPika on Mt. Evans, Colorado Nikon D300, AF-S Nikkor 200-400mm f/4.0G ED-VR lens at 400mm
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For those of you not familiar with them, this is a Pika – they look like and are about the size of large hamsters, but they’re actually more closely related to rabbits. They’re sometimes called rock rabbits or whistling hares. Pikas are an alpine species (they live above tree line in mountainous regions) in North America, Asia, and Europe. Unlike their larger cousin the Marmot who hibernate during the winter months, Pikas are awake and active year round. That’s a pretty significant achievement considering that it’s winter about 9 months of the year where they live. To survive the long winter, the Pika must spend his short summer gathering alpine grasses and plant, which he then dries in tiny hay bales out in the sun. The Pika must gather at least 50 pounds of food to last the winter. Gathering that much food for a small animal is a big undertaking and it keeps them quite busy. When they’re not sunning themselves in the early morning, you can usually find them gathering and drying food. Pikas are another species (like marmots) that are considered altruistic – they selflessly keep themselves in danger to bark out a warning to neighbors. They also bark out a warning if you get too close to their little hay bales. They emit a surprisingly loud EENK!!! if you get too close. Pikas are endangered due to climate change. They’re considered a “canary in the coal mine” species and are very susceptible to climbing temperatures and seem to be moving to higher and higher altitudes to escape the heat. But there’s a limit to how high they can climb (eventually they run out of mountain). And because of the higher temperatures, they can’t migrate to a higher peak as that would mean descending to a lower (and hotter) environment to do so. Pika (Ochotona princeps) / Mt Evans Wilderness Area, CO / Sony a700 / Sigma 300mm f/2.8+1.4TC ISO200, 1/250sec, f/6.3, -1EV
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Pika enjoying the sunset, razor sharp and clear image using large file size. Beautiful T-shirts with different colors and styles are also available with this image: Sunset Pika T-shirt I Seeeek…The Sweet Light T-shirt A companion image is also available: Pika Howling Calendars Too: Calendar Gallery Canon 40D camera, Canon 500mm IS 4.0 Lens, Tripod with Ballhead Mount. For discussion of shutter speed, f-stop, available light, and my technique, please visit my profile page…thank you :-) Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado Thank you to all the groups featuring this image.
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A calendar for all the “cute” lovers throughout the year. Cover: Prairie Dog with Funny Expression January: Black Bear Smile / February: Prairie Dog Kiss / March: Bison Friendship / April: Fawn & Wildflowers / May: Pika & Wildflowers / June: Fresh Raspberry (bull bison with tongue out) / July: Porcupine Hug / August: Ground Squirrel on Stage / September: Sea Otter & Baby / October: Parental Kiss (marmot and baby) / November: Grizzly Bear Cute / December: Prairie Dog with Funny Expression Other Calendars To Enjoy: Calendar Gallery RedBubble calendars are printed on high quality, high density paper that’s easy to write on, and come bound and ready for hanging on your wall. RedBubble calendars are printed on an HP Indigo 5000 (for those who haven’t heard, this is the digital press). Each page is a matte coated print on 170gsm pages. The cover shows your choice of image on heavier 300gsm paper. Your calendars have a hanger and white wire binding. RedBubble calendars are satin-coated prints on high quality art paper. They’re A3 size (that’s 297×420mm, or 11.69×16.54”)
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I Seeeek…The Sweet Light Sunset Pika T-shirt for all my fellow photographers, artists, and nature lovers to enjoy :-) A beautiful greeting card and prints are also available with this image: Sunset Pika Pikas, cousins of rabbits, are small chinchilla-like animals, with short limbs, rounded ears, and short tails. Pikas are also called rock rabbits or coneys. It is also known as the “whistling hare” due to its high-pitched alarm call when diving into its burrow….Eeeeek!....which gave me the idea for this design. Pikas are native to cold climates, mostly in Asia, North America and parts of eastern Europe. Most species live on rocky mountain sides, where there are numerous crevices to shelter in, although some also construct crude burrows. A few burrowing species are instead native to open steppe land. In the mountains of Eurasia, pikas often share their burrows with snowfinches, which build their nests there. Source: Wikipedia Location: Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
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I know – he looks rabid, but there’s more to the image than meets the eye. I had a really disappointing day yesterday on Mt Evans. I saw a couple of marmots, neither of whom were interested in having their photo taken, a couple of goats (ditto), and no pikas. None. I reluctantly headed back out this morning, figuring yesterday was a fluke. I always see lots of critters on Evans. I saw a couple of marmots, neither of whom were interested in having their photo taken, a couple of goats (ditto), and I finally found Larry the Pika. He must have been feeling particularly generous today, because he posed for me for almost 10 minutes. I have a bunch of pika images, so I was hoping for something a little different. I spent most of the summer of ‘07 trying to get an image of a pika squeaking out an warning, so I was hoping for something similar today. I was trying to give instructions (“C’mon, let me hear you squeak! Let’s hear it! EEENK!!”), but apparently my Pikan dialect is a bit off. I must have bored him a bit, because about that time, he yawned – not once, but twice. This is a Pika at full yawn. My son saw the image and commented, “Thanks, now I’ll have nightmares.” Pikas are considered to be one of the few altruistic species in the world, including marmots and, arguably, humans. They will remain outside in danger, barking out an alarm to their neighbors if predators are near. Pikas are considered at at-risk species due to climate change – they’re very vulnerable to warm weather. It’s estimated they can only survive a few hours if temps get above 75F. That makes it difficult for them to migrate to different areas, and there’s only so far they can move up a mountain until they run out of mountain. Pika (Ochotona princeps) / Mt Evans Wilderness Area, CO / Sony a700 / Sigma 300mm f/2.8+1.4TC ISO400, 1/1250sec, f/4
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Some may recognize Larry the Pika -my favorite little alpine critter. I figured after the last image of Larry when he was yawning (and scaring small children), he was owed a better, cuter image. Larry lives in a talus field at about 14,000ft on Mt Evans. As posted previously, pikas are endangered due to climate change and global warming. They’re highly specialized little animals, with adaptations to high altitude, high winds, and extremely cold temps. Because of these adaptations, they handle alpine peaks extremely well, but they don’t manage warm temps at all. If temps get above 75F for long, they can’t survive, and quickly die. That means they can’t just migrate to colder areas – they have to pass through warmer temps to do so. All they can do is climb higher until they run out of mountain. As you can see in the photo, part of their special adaptations are hairy feet and hairy little toes, and a hairy little nose (no warm, wet black nose here) – all with the idea of retaining heat in cold weather. Pikas are considered to be one of the few altruistic species in the world, including marmots and, arguably, humans. They will remain outside in danger, barking out an alarm to their neighbors if predators are near. Pika (Ochotona princeps) / Mt Evans Wilderness Area, CO / Sony a700 / Sigma 300mm f/2.8+1.4TC ISO200, 1/1320sec, f/5.6, -2/3EV
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Larry the Pika, again. My mountain goats have practically disappeared for greener meadows. Literally. My last few trips to elevation have been pretty disappointing, goat-wise. I’ve only seen a few goats lately, no yearlings or kids, and the goats I have seen have such ratty looking coats it’s not even worth taking their photos. I haven’t seen a bighorn in weeks. I don’t think the lack of goats is a permanent thing – they have their own schedule and agenda, and don’t keep me up to date. they’ll be back. In the mean time, I decided to focus (pun intended) on some of my small critters. The last couple of trips I’ve been making pikas a special project. And fortunately, I’m very familiar with one particular pika – Larry the Pika. For a pika, he’s pretty accessible. He lives in a talus field, and I’ve spent enough time with him that I’m pretty familiar with his routes and usual perching spots. It’s tough to follow him with a long lens, but it is easy to pre-focus on an established perch and wait for him to assume the position. I don’t remember if this is him yawning again (although much less scary that the last yawning shot), or if he’s belting out an EEENK. High altitude and low oxygen levels at 14,000ft tend to play havoc with your memory. When they spot a predator or potential danger (or if you get too close to their little hay bales), they emit a surprisingly loud EEENK. They also keep themselves in harm’s way to alert their neighbors. It’s more common to hear pikas than see them. Pikas, and marmots to a lesser extent, are considered at risk species due to climate change and global warming. They live on what is essentially a cold island. They are unable to migrate to different locations, as doing so would require them to cross long stretches of excessively hot ground. Their only alternative is to climb higher and higher up the mountain, and there’s only so much mountain to climb. Most pikas spend their entire lives in a half-mile radius. It’s estimated that pikas cannot survive in temps higher than 75F for more than a few hours.
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The first image I posted of Larry the Pika yawning was a little overwhelming, and it scared kids, too. This image is a little more appealing, I think. I managed to catch him in a very brief stretch and yawn before he disappeared back into his burrow under the talus. I spent most of the morning above 14,000ft, with a mission. I wanted to get some behavioral images of pikas, and Larry being the most accessible pika in Colorado, got the attention. I got a bunch of the usual pika perched on a rock shots, but also got a few of these and some others with him gathering food for the winter. I just liked this one so much I wanted to post it right away. When they spot a predator or potential danger (or if you get too close to their little hay bales), they emit a surprisingly loud EEENK. They also keep themselves in harm’s way to alert their neighbors. It’s more common to hear pikas than see them. Pikas, and marmots to a lesser extent, are considered at risk species due to climate change and global warming. They live on what is essentially a cold island. They are unable to migrate to different locations, as doing so would require them to cross long stretches of excessively hot ground. Their only alternative is to climb higher and higher up the mountain, and there’s only so much mountain to climb. Most pikas spend their entire lives in a half-mile radius. It’s estimated that pikas cannot survive in temps higher than 75F for more than a few hours. Pika (Ochotona princeps) / Mt Evans Wilderness Area, CO / Sony a700 / Sigma 300mm f/2.8+1.4TC ISO400, 1/1320sec, f/4.5
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The more uncooperative my mountain goats become, the more I look to my smaller critters for inspiration. I had my COYOTE PROJECT in the winter, and now I have my PIKA PROJECT for the rest of the summer. Since I have way too many pika perched on a rock images, I decided to focus (pun intended) on behavioral shots of pikas – something a little different and a little more dynamic. And, of course, my go-to pika is Larry the Pika. Those of you familiar with Larry know that he lives in a talus field around 14,000ft. Larry has been a family friend for years – my son even gave him the nickname Larry. In this image, Larry has collected a mouthful of plant matter and is on his way back to his burrow – he stopped briefly on a rock (where I had pre-focused the lens in hopes that he would do just that), and just as quickly resumed his dash back to the burrow. It helps to have fast reflexes if you want to photograph pikas. Standard Pika Boilerplate / Unlike their alpine cousins, the marmots (who hibernate away the winter months), pikas are awake and active all winter long – and at their altitude in the alpine zone, winter can be a long time. To survive their winters, pikas have to gather food to have enough to eat. They start by running out into the talus field to gather mouthfuls of grass, plants, flowers, and thistles. They then pile all the plant matter into tiny little hay bales to dry in the sun. Once it’s dried, they carry the little hay bales into their burrows where they store it and use it for food, bedding, and insulation. If they don’t gather enough food, they don’t survive the winter. Despite weighing only about 6 ounces themselves, pikas must gather in excess of 50 pounds of plant matter for the coming winter. That’s a LOT of plant matter for a little critter to gather. In pika communities, it’s not uncommon for pikas to try to make off with a neighbors hay bale. When caught, this can lead to a noisy little dispute between the pikas. When they spot a predator or potential danger (or if you get too close to their little hay bales), they emit a surprisingly loud EEENK. They also keep themselves in harm’s way to alert their neighbors. It’s more common to hear pikas than see them. Pikas, and marmots to a lesser extent, are considered at risk species due to climate change and global warming. They live on what is essentially a cold island. They are unable to migrate to different locations, as doing so would require them to cross long stretches of excessively hot ground. Their only alternative is to climb higher and higher up the mountain, and there’s only so much mountain to climb. Most pikas spend their entire lives in a half-mile radius. It’s estimated that pikas cannot survive in temps higher than 75F for more than a few hours. Pika (Ochotona princeps) / Mt Evans Wilderness Area, CO / Sony a700 / Sigma 300mm f/2.8+1.4TC / Jobu gimbal, Giottos tripod ISO400, 1/500sec, f/6.3
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Ba dapa DA dada da / Ba dapa DADA da da da / Ba dapa DA dada da / BA BA BA dapa / BA BA BA dapa / DA!! Sorry, got a little carried away there. Last weekend when I was up above 14,000ft, there was a brutal wind. Facing into the wind, I couldn’t breath – I had to put on a windproof balaclava and cover my nose and mouth to catch my breath (and even then, at 14,000ft, it was no easy task). Despite being dressed in full-on winter gear, I was still cold. I could lean forward into the wind and not have to worry about falling forward with the wind. The wind was literally shoving me around. And to make things even more fun, a big lens on a tripod makes an excellent sail – I had to keep a firm grip on the tripod to prevent my kit from being dashed on the rocks. I mention the brutality of the wind, because as difficult time as I was having, Larry the Pika had it worse. I wasn’t expecting to see Larry that day – I figured the wind would have been too much for a little 6-ounce guy like him. But to my surprise, Larry was out and about. I initially spotted him on a little sheltered rock outcropping, avoiding most of the wind but catching some warm sun. That was only a brief respite; he quickly returned to the task of gathering food. The recent rain in Denver was snow in the high country, no doubt reinforcing to him that Winter isn’t that far away, and he needs to gather as much food as he can. The high winds meant that Larry had to change his strategy a bit, too. In some of the stronger gusts, he could easily get blasted off the summit – literally. Instead of going to the rich plant growth on the north side of the talus field (and in the area most exposed to the wind), he went to the South and kept low to the ground, running around and under the rocks instead of on top of them. And his trips out were very brief compared to his usual excursions. It also occurred to me that Larry (and all the other pikas) don’t have the luxury of taking the day off or napping instead of working. Their lives depend upon their ability to gather enough food for the winter. If they take the day off, it puts them at risk. Like it or not, comfortable or not, he’s got to go out and work. Earning a living takes on a whole new level of seriousness. Compared to pikas, marmots have it easy (no offense, Krys); all they have to do is eat and fatten up for the winter hibernation. Well, that’s not all they have to do. They can nap, lay on sun-warmed rocks, and play-fight, too. There’s some playtime in their schedule. Standard Pika Boilerplate / Unlike their alpine cousins, the marmots (who hibernate away the winter months), pikas are awake and active all winter long – and at their altitude in the alpine zone, winter can be a long time. To survive their winters, pikas have to gather food to have enough to eat. They start by running out into the talus field to gather mouthfuls of grass, plants, flowers, and thistles. They then pile all the plant matter into tiny little hay bales to dry in the sun. Once it’s dried, they carry the little hay bales into their burrows where they store it and use it for food, bedding, and insulation. If they don’t gather enough food, they don’t survive the winter. Despite weighing only about 6 ounces themselves, pikas must gather in excess of 50 pounds of plant matter for the coming winter. That’s a LOT of plant matter for a little critter to gather. In pika communities, it’s not uncommon for pikas to try to make off with a neighbors hay bale. When caught, this can lead to a noisy little dispute between the pikas. When they spot a predator or potential danger (or if you get too close to their little hay bales), they emit a surprisingly loud EEENK. They also keep themselves in harm’s way to alert their neighbors. It’s more common to hear pikas than see them. Pikas, and marmots to a lesser extent, are considered at risk species due to climate change and global warming. They live on what is essentially a cold island. They are unable to migrate to different locations, as doing so would require them to cross long stretches of excessively hot ground. Their only alternative is to climb higher and higher up the mountain, and there’s only so much mountain to climb. Most pikas spend their entire lives in a half-mile radius. It’s estimated that pikas cannot survive in temps higher than 75F for more than a few hours. Pika (Ochotona princeps) / Mt Evans Wilderness Area, CO / Sony a700 / Sigma 300mm f/2.8+1.4TC / Jobu gimbal, Giottos tripod ISO200, 1/500sec, f/4.5
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Larry the Pika again. This was part of his post-yawn, pre-nap grooming ritual. Standard Pika Boilerplate / Unlike their alpine cousins, the marmots (who hibernate away the winter months), pikas are awake and active all winter long – and at their altitude in the alpine zone, winter can be a long time. To survive their winters, pikas have to gather food to have enough to eat. They start by running out into the talus field to gather mouthfuls of grass, plants, flowers, and thistles. They then pile all the plant matter into tiny little hay bales to dry in the sun. Once it’s dried, they carry the little hay bales into their burrows where they store it and use it for food, bedding, and insulation. If they don’t gather enough food, they don’t survive the winter. Despite weighing only about 6 ounces themselves, pikas must gather in excess of 50 pounds of plant matter for the coming winter. That’s a LOT of plant matter for a little critter to gather. In pika communities, it’s not uncommon for pikas to try to make off with a neighbors hay bale. When caught, this can lead to a noisy little dispute between the pikas. When they spot a predator or potential danger (or if you get too close to their little hay bales), they emit a surprisingly loud EEENK. They also keep themselves in harm’s way to alert their neighbors. It’s more common to hear pikas than see them. Pikas, and marmots to a lesser extent, are considered at risk species due to climate change and global warming. They live on what is essentially a cold island. They are unable to migrate to different locations, as doing so would require them to cross long stretches of excessively hot ground. Their only alternative is to climb higher and higher up the mountain, and there’s only so much mountain to climb. Most pikas spend their entire lives in a half-mile radius. It’s estimated that pikas cannot survive in temps higher than 75F for more than a few hours. Pika (Ochotona princeps) / Mt Evans Wilderness Area, CO / Sony a700 / Sigma 300mm f/2.8+1.4TC / Jobu gimbal, Giottos tripod ISO400, 1/250sec, f/4.5
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This is obviously a labor of love, or I wouldn’t spend so much time in bad weather to not get images. Allow me to set the stage: Awake at 0445, load the car, and drive to Mt Evans before the sun comes up. Keep an eye out for marmots on the way up, and discover they have better sense than to get up this early. Arrive at the summit (14,000ft) – mid-30’s with about a 30-40mph wind. Wearing soft shell pants and an insulated soft shell jacket, windproof balaclava and windproof wool gloves – it’s mid-August and I’m freezing. Carry heavy tripod/camera/lens through a talus field. Set up tripod. Locate pika. Pika found – it’s not Larry, but she’s in the same talus field. She’s making the same short, fast trips to gather food for the rapidly approaching winter. Larry is accustomed to my presence, and he rarely lets out a warning EEENK when I’m around. This little pika is not familiar with me and is EEENKing regularly – an opportunity to get some action shots! You have to image all this happening with a frigid blast of wind shoving me around . . . Me: “C’mon, EEENK for me . . .” / Pika: EEENK / Camera: Click / Me: @#&! Me: “OK, that was good, do it again! / Pika: EEENK / Camera: Click / Me: @#&! Me: “OK, give me a little warning-” / Pika: EEENK / Camera: Click / Me: @#&! Me: “OK, I’m getting the timing now-” / Pika: EEENK / Camera: Click / Me: @#&! Me: “OK, OK, I’ve got it now . . .” / Camera: Click / Pika: EEENK / Me: @#&! Now, imagine this going on for the next 30 minutes, with the constant blast of frigid wind. That’s how my day went. On the other hand, it’s a better way to spend a day than just about any other way I can imagine. This is the closest I could get to capturing an EEENK – about half a second too late. Standard Pika Boilerplate / Unlike their alpine cousins, the marmots (who hibernate away the winter months), pikas are awake and active all winter long – and at their altitude in the alpine zone, winter can be a long time. To survive their winters, pikas have to gather food to have enough to eat. They start by running out into the talus field to gather mouthfuls of grass, plants, flowers, and thistles. They then pile all the plant matter into tiny little hay bales to dry in the sun. Once it’s dried, they carry the little hay bales into their burrows where they store it and use it for food, bedding, and insulation. If they don’t gather enough food, they don’t survive the winter. Despite weighing only about 6 ounces themselves, pikas must gather in excess of 50 pounds of plant matter for the coming winter. That’s a LOT of plant matter for a little critter to gather. In pika communities, it’s not uncommon for pikas to try to make off with a neighbors hay bale. When caught, this can lead to a noisy little dispute between the pikas. When they spot a predator or potential danger (or if you get too close to their little hay bales), they emit a surprisingly loud EEENK. They also keep themselves in harm’s way to alert their neighbors. It’s more common to hear pikas than see them. Pikas, and marmots to a lesser extent, are considered at risk species due to climate change and global warming. They live on what is essentially a cold island. They are unable to migrate to different locations, as doing so would require them to cross long stretches of excessively hot ground. Their only alternative is to climb higher and higher up the mountain, and there’s only so much mountain to climb. Most pikas spend their entire lives in a half-mile radius. It’s estimated that pikas cannot survive in temps higher than 75F for more than a few hours. Pika (Ochotona princeps) / Mt Evans Wilderness Area, CO / Sony a700 / Sigma 300mm f/2.8+1.4TC / Jobu gimbal, Giottos tripod ISO200, 1/640sec, f/4
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I only have a few more weeks access to my most accessible pikas before winter weather moves in to the high country and blocks my access until next summer. The weather was so different that day – mid-50’s and almost no wind, so all the animals were more active. I didn’t see Larry at all, but this little female and another pika were very active, taking turns running out to gather food for the winter. Because the weather was so much nicer, they were less frantic and more willing to pose. I even had some nice light (sometimes too intense as the clouds parted). There was little interaction between the pikas (not surprising – they’re pretty solitary little animals even though they live in colonies), except for one noisy little interaction that I heard but couldn’t see. I suspect one of them was stealing food from the other. I’m still working on the perfect EEENK image in the mean time. Standard Pika Boilerplate / Unlike their alpine cousins, the marmots (who hibernate away the winter months), pikas are awake and active all winter long – and at their altitude in the alpine zone, winter can be a long time. To survive their winters, pikas have to gather food to have enough to eat. They start by running out into the talus field to gather mouthfuls of grass, plants, flowers, and thistles. They then pile all the plant matter into tiny little hay bales to dry in the sun. Once it’s dried, they carry the little hay bales into their burrows where they store it and use it for food, bedding, and insulation. If they don’t gather enough food, they don’t survive the winter. Despite weighing only about 6 ounces themselves, pikas must gather in excess of 50 pounds of plant matter for the coming winter. That’s a LOT of plant matter for a little critter to gather. In pika communities, it’s not uncommon for pikas to try to make off with a neighbors hay bale. When caught, this can lead to a noisy little dispute between the pikas. When they spot a predator or potential danger (or if you get too close to their little hay bales), they emit a surprisingly loud EEENK. They also keep themselves in harm’s way to alert their neighbors. It’s more common to hear pikas than see them. Pikas, and marmots to a lesser extent, are considered at risk species due to climate change and global warming. They live on what is essentially a cold island. They are unable to migrate to different locations, as doing so would require them to cross long stretches of excessively hot ground. Their only alternative is to climb higher and higher up the mountain, and there’s only so much mountain to climb. Most pikas spend their entire lives in a half-mile radius. It’s estimated that pikas cannot survive in temps higher than 75F for more than a few hours. Pika (Ochotona princeps) / Mt Evans Wilderness Area, CO / Sony a700 / Sigma 300mm f/2.8+1.4TC / Jobu gimbal, Giottos tripod ISO200, 1/500sec, f/5, -2/3EV
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The Pika Project series is now winding down. Not only are the aspen starting to change colors, but the tundra at altitude is as well. Many of the tundra grasses and plants turn an intense shade of red as Fall starts in the high country. One of my goals from the Labor Day weekend was to get a pika image with her gathering food with some of the red Fall color.. I have another one that’s sufficiently different I want to post as well. Standard Pika Boilerplate / Unlike their alpine cousins, the marmots (who hibernate away the winter months), pikas are awake and active all winter long – and at their altitude in the alpine zone, winter can be a long time. To survive their winters, pikas have to gather food to have enough to eat. They start by running out into the talus field to gather mouthfuls of grass, plants, flowers, and thistles. They then pile all the plant matter into tiny little hay bales to dry in the sun. Once it’s dried, they carry the little hay bales into their burrows where they store it and use it for food, bedding, and insulation. If they don’t gather enough food, they don’t survive the winter. Despite weighing only about 6 ounces themselves, pikas must gather in excess of 50 pounds of plant matter for the coming winter. That’s a LOT of plant matter for a little critter to gather. In pika communities, it’s not uncommon for pikas to try to make off with a neighbors hay bale. When caught, this can lead to a noisy little dispute between the pikas. When they spot a predator or potential danger (or if you get too close to their little hay bales), they emit a surprisingly loud EEENK. They also keep themselves in harm’s way to alert their neighbors. It’s more common to hear pikas than see them. Pikas, and marmots to a lesser extent, are considered at risk species due to climate change and global warming. They live on what is essentially a cold island. They are unable to migrate to different locations, as doing so would require them to cross long stretches of excessively hot ground. Their only alternative is to climb higher and higher up the mountain, and there’s only so much mountain to climb. Most pikas spend their entire lives in a half-mile radius. It’s estimated that pikas cannot survive in temps higher than 75F for more than a few hours. Pika (Ochotona princeps) / Mt Evans Wilderness Area, CO / Sony a700 / Sigma 300mm f/2.8 / Jobu gimbal, Giottos tripod ISO200, 1/2500sec, f/5.6, -2/3EV
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Since I haven’t seen Larry the Pika during the last few weeks of the summer, I’ve used this little female pika as a stand in. Fortunately, she’s well up to the task. Winter is rapidly approaching at 14,000ft, and she’s very aware she doesn’t have much time left to gather food. She makes frequent trips to gather food – since she doesn’t hibernate, she’ll need all she can get to last the long cold winter. There’s already a dusting of snow on the ground, and once there’s more than a few inches of snow, she won’t be able to gather much more. Pika are supposed to gather plants into little hay bales to dry in the sun, but I’ve never seen one do that above about 13,000ft. I suspect the air is dry enough that the stored vegetation dries quickly enough that sunning isn’t required. Standard Pika Boilerplate / Unlike their alpine cousins, the marmots (who hibernate away the winter months), pikas are awake and active all winter long – and at their altitude in the alpine zone, winter can be a long time. To survive their winters, pikas have to gather food to have enough to eat. They start by running out into the talus field to gather mouthfuls of grass, plants, flowers, and thistles. They then pile all the plant matter into tiny little hay bales to dry in the sun. Once it’s dried, they carry the little hay bales into their burrows where they store it and use it for food, bedding, and insulation. If they don’t gather enough food, they don’t survive the winter. Despite weighing only about 6 ounces themselves, pikas must gather in excess of 50 pounds of plant matter for the coming winter. That’s a LOT of plant matter for a little critter to gather. In pika communities, it’s not uncommon for pikas to try to make off with a neighbors hay bale. When caught, this can lead to a noisy little dispute between the pikas. When they spot a predator or potential danger (or if you get too close to their little hay bales), they emit a surprisingly loud EEENK. They also keep themselves in harm’s way to alert their neighbors. It’s more common to hear pikas than see them. Pikas, and marmots to a lesser extent, are considered at risk species due to climate change and global warming. They live on what is essentially a cold island. They are unable to migrate to different locations, as doing so would require them to cross long stretches of excessively hot ground. Their only alternative is to climb higher and higher up the mountain, and there’s only so much mountain to climb. Most pikas spend their entire lives in a half-mile radius. It’s estimated that pikas cannot survive in temps higher than 75F for more than a few hours. Pika (Ochotona princeps) / Mt Evans Wilderness Area, CO / Sony a700 / Sigma 300mm f/2.8 / Jobu gimbal, Giottos tripod ISO200, 1/3200sec, f/4.5, -2/3EV
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