The total area of land that an American pika uses is known as a home range. The American pika is diurnal. Gut microbial communities of American pikas (Ochotona princeps): evidence for phylosymbiosis and adaptations to novel diets. Pika are herbivores that maintain a high basal metabolic rate and high body temperature as adaptations to living at high elevations in the mountains where temperatures are cold. Pikas are high-elevation, alpine specialists, resulting in isolated “sky is-land” populations, with limited dispersal and population mixing The American pika may look closer to a mouse, but it is more closely related to the rabbit family. Awesome Adaptations: American Pika. The American pika (Ochotona princepsoffers) a unique study system in which to study inter-population variation in gut micro-bial communities, as well as adaptations to herbivorous diets. For alpine mammals, metabolic heat production and cellular mechanisms to cope with hypoxia are critical for survival and reproduction. Despite their small size, body shape, and round ears, pikas are not rodents but the smallest representatives of the lagomorphs, a group otherwise It is about 6 to 8 inches long, has round ears, and has no tail. Habitat of the Pika Though there is a wide variety of species, all are adapted to life in cold climates. Pikas and Climate Change Related to rabbits and hares and adapted to high-elevation habitat, the American pika faces a bleak future as temperatures rise and snow cover disappears (3:02) CQ15: American pika are small mammals that are related to rabbits and usually live above the tree line in the mountains of western North America. Vulnerability of pika … The American pika (Ochotona princeps) is a small, winter-active mammal inhabiting alpine environments. The pika has thick warm fur. The American pika lives in the northwestern United States, while the collared pika lives in parts of Alaska and northwestern Canada. The species is typically limited to moist, rocky habitats at high-elevations in … The American pika has found a way to live in the steep rockpiles high in the mountains. Fish and Wildlife Service to list the American pika under the federal Endangered Species Act. Kohl KD(1,)(2), Varner J(3), Wilkening JL(4), Dearing MD(2). Pika, (genus Ochotona), small short-legged and virtually tailless egg-shaped mammal found in the mountains of western North America and much of Asia. The American pika tolerates cold climate environments through physiological and behavioral adaptations which may make them sensitive to even mildly warm climates. Action timeline . Territory size can vary from 410–709 m² and is dependent on configuration, distance … About 55% of its home range is territory that the pika defends against intruders. The American pika can be found in western North America from central British Columbia in Canada to Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Nevada, California and New Mexico. Author information: (1)Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, 465 21st Ave South, Nashville, TN, 37235, USA. August 21, 2007 – The Center petitioned the California Fish and Game Commission to list the five subspecies of American pika occurring in the state as endangered under the California Endangered Species Act.. October 1, 2007 – The Center filed a petition with the U.S. American Pika (Ochotona princeps)also called mouse hare and rock rabbit Species Code: OCPR What they look like: American Pikas are hearty small mammals who live in rock piles in the mountains of western North America. They are related to rabbits but are are about the size of large hamsters. 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