Rocky Mountain pika/American pika (Ochotona princeps) Banff National Park, Alberta

Freshairphotography by Janis Morrison
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Rocky Mountain pika/American pika (Ochotona princeps) Banff National Park, Alberta
Rocky Mountain pika/American pika (Ochotona princeps) Banff National Park, Alberta

This pika is one of two species that are found in BC, Alta, YT and Alaska, this species is found throughout the Rocky Mountains in BC and Alberta.
Their body lengths range from 162 to 216 mm (6.4 to 8.5 in). They weigh about 170 g (6.0 oz) Pikas are in the same family as rabbits and hares. Although, unlike rabbits and hares, pika’s front and back legs are approximately the same length, so they run rather than hop. They also don’t have a visible tail! Pikas have two different ways of foraging; they either directly consume food or they cache food in piles for the winter. (called ‘haying’ - they gather cuttings of preferred plants, cure them in sheltered, sunny places and then store them among rocks for winter use) Pikas don’t hibernate, they remain active under the snow and in their dens throughout the winter.
Pikas limit their time in open areas to reduce their chances of being taken by predators like birds of prey and, as a result, they rarely seek food more than 8 to 10 m (26 to 32ft) from the security of their dens. They rely on existing spaces in the rocks for homes and do not dig burrows. However, they do enlarge their homes by digging. They generally cannot tolerate temperatures above 25.5 °C (77.9 °F), so they are mainly found in the high and cooler mountain regions.

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Taken on: September 17, 2022
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Camera: Canon EOS R6, f/7.1, 1/125 sec, 500mm, ISO 320 (more info) (hide info)
Camera: Canon EOS R6
Lens: RF100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM
Aperture: f/7.1
Exposure Time: 0.008 sec (1/125)
Focal Length: 500mm
ISO: 320
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: No Flash
Exposure Program: Manual
Exposure Mode: Manual
Metering Mode: Multi-segment
White Balance: Auto
Color Space: sRGB
Software: Adobe Photoshop Elements 20.0 (Macintosh)
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