Ochotona princeps (pika)

The American pika is a small lagomorph that inhabits the high alpine and subalpine regions of western North America, typically above 8,000 feet in elevation. These solitary, territorial animals are adapted to life on rocky scree slopes and talus fields, where they forage on grasses, forbs, and other alpine vegetation. Pikas do not hibernate; instead, they spend summer and fall gathering vegetation and creating "haystacks" of dried plants to sustain them through the harsh mountain winters. Found throughout the Rocky Mountains and other western ranges, pikas are sensitive indicators of climate change, as their high-elevation habitat leaves them vulnerable to warming temperatures. Rocky Mountain National Park protects significant pika populations within their native range on the traditional lands of the Cheyenne people.