Everybody likes a pika

Get psyched for pikas – open to learn more! ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ [Collared Pika © Jacob W. Frank/NPS]( This mighty mountaineer is a charismatic mini-fauna! What’s a pika? “Eeeeeeep!” – that’s how pikas say, “Hello!” There are two species of pika (pronounced pike-uh) in North America: the American pika, and the collared pika. They’re both lagomorphs, which means their closest cousins are rabbits and hares. Pikas are tiny, about the size and weight of two tennis balls, with grayish or brownish fur and white bellies. Collared pikas also have a handsome band of white fur around their neck. Where can they be found? These critters prefer the cold – pikas mostly live, with small exception, in high-elevation boulder fields and alpine meadows. They occupy small, disconnected “sky islands” of habitat on rocky slopes where they maintain vast networks of tunnels under the rocks. American pikas live in mountainous western states, while collared pikas live in Alaska and the Yukon. During the day, pikas pick piles of plants to build a food cache that will last through the winter. They don’t hibernate, so pikas need to eat all year round. So what's happening now? Pikas are tougher than they look, living in snowy environments – but they’re extremely sensitive to heat. Even a short exposure to too much warmth can be dangerous for pikas, forcing them to stop foraging and cool down. As temperatures climb higher due to climate change, so do pikas. They’ve been retreating higher and higher into the mountains, disappearing from 25 percent of their range over the last 30 years. Unless we can keep things cool, pikas may run out of room to escape the heat. How can I help? The best way we can protect pikas is to try to get the climate crisis under control. Their plight presents a vital warning: None of us can run from climate change forever. Defenders is raising the call to reduce carbon emissions for the sake of vulnerable animals that share our world. By reducing fossil fuel extraction and use, we have the power to stop this crisis from spiraling out of control. Our senior Alaska representative Christi Heun recently profiled these mighty mountain-dwellers – read more on our Wild Without End blog! [Get the scoop on pikas!]( P.S.: It’s a common myth that the popular Pokémon Pikachu was based on pikas. Pikachu is actually inspired by squirrels – but that doesn’t make pikas any less electrifying! [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [YouTube]( Defenders of Wildlife 1130 17th Street NW • Washington, DC 20036 defenders.org --------------------------------------------------------------- Photo credit: Collared Pika © Jacob W. Frank/NPS This email was sent to {EMAIL} Please do not respond to this email. [Unsubscribe here]( or update your preferences [here!]( [supporter]