Collared Pika
Again, at the Savage River area (an incredibly rich place, biologically). This time on the large outcrop of rock overlooking the loop trailhead (and on the Savage Alpine Trail).
I took some photos of American Pikas in Rocky Mountain National Park in 1999, but they were on slide film and were not of high quality at all. I've always wanted to photograph pikas again since then. These were the only two decent images I got of these Collared Pikas - two is better then none!
Denali National Park, Alaska
June 19, 2025
Some pika background info:
Pikas are lagomorphs (not rodents). So they are more closely related to rabbits and hares, despite looking a bit like Guinea pigs.
Pikas are well known for gathering grasses and other fresh plants and carefully drying them in the sun for later storage in their well-protected rock shelters. They do not hibernate over winter but instead live off of this stored food.
Pikas do not handle warm temperatures well at all, and these particular pikas were mostly out of sight when the sun hit their territories. The other North American pika species, the American Pika, is not handling climate change and its associated warming well, and is disappearing from some of its former range as the climate warms.
In doing a little research on pikas, I was surprised to learn that there are 30 species of pika in the world! Many are found in Asia. It would be fun to try to see and photograph them all (IF I had a time machine AND a teleportation machine!).
Collared Pika
Again, at the Savage River area (an incredibly rich place, biologically). This time on the large outcrop of rock overlooking the loop trailhead (and on the Savage Alpine Trail).
I took some photos of American Pikas in Rocky Mountain National Park in 1999, but they were on slide film and were not of high quality at all. I've always wanted to photograph pikas again since then. These were the only two decent images I got of these Collared Pikas - two is better then none!
Denali National Park, Alaska
June 19, 2025
Some pika background info:
Pikas are lagomorphs (not rodents). So they are more closely related to rabbits and hares, despite looking a bit like Guinea pigs.
Pikas are well known for gathering grasses and other fresh plants and carefully drying them in the sun for later storage in their well-protected rock shelters. They do not hibernate over winter but instead live off of this stored food.
Pikas do not handle warm temperatures well at all, and these particular pikas were mostly out of sight when the sun hit their territories. The other North American pika species, the American Pika, is not handling climate change and its associated warming well, and is disappearing from some of its former range as the climate warms.
In doing a little research on pikas, I was surprised to learn that there are 30 species of pika in the world! Many are found in Asia. It would be fun to try to see and photograph them all (IF I had a time machine AND a teleportation machine!).