iPika[1]
American Pika (Ochotona princeps)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Lagomorpha Family: Ochotonidae Thomas, 1897 Genus: Ochotona Link, 1795
Type Species
Ochotona minor Link, 1795 (= Lepus dauuricus Pallas, 1776)
Species
See text Image File history File links Ochotona_princeps. ... Binomial name Ochotona princeps The American pika is an diurnal species of pika that is found in the mountains of western North America, usually in boulder fields at or above tree line. ... Scientific classification or biological classification is how biologists group and categorize extinct and living species of organisms. ... Phyla Subregnum Parazoa Porifera Subregnum Eumetazoa Placozoa Orthonectida Rhombozoa Radiata (unranked) Ctenophora Cnidaria Bilateria (unranked) Acoelomorpha Myxozoa Superphylum Deuterostomia Chordata Hemichordata Echinodermata Chaetognatha Xenoturbellida Superphylum Ecdysozoa Kinorhyncha Loricifera Priapulida Nematoda Nematomorpha Onychophora Tardigrada Arthropoda Superphylum Platyzoa Platyhelminthes Gastrotricha Rotifera Acanthocephala Gnathostomulida Micrognathozoa Cycliophora Superphylum Lophotrochozoa Sipuncula Nemertea Phoronida Ectoprocta Bryozoa... {{{subdivision_ranks}}} See below Chordates (phylum Chordata) are a group of animals that includes the vertebrates, together with several closely related invertebrates. ... Orders Multituberculata (extinct) Volaticotheria (extinct) Palaeoryctoides (extinct) Triconodonta (extinct) Subclass Australosphenida Ausktribosphenida Monotremata Subclass Eutheria (excludes extinct ancestors) Afrosoricida Anagaloidea (extinct) Arctostylopida (extinct) Artiodactyla Carnivora Cetacea Chiroptera Cimolesta (extinct) Cingulata Creodonta (extinct) Condylarthra (extinct) Dermoptera Desmostylia (extinct) Dinocerata (extinct) Embrithopoda (extinct) Hyracoidea Insectivora Lagomorpha Leptictida (extinct) Litopterna (extinct) Macroscelidea Mesonychia... Families The Lagomorphs, order Lagomorpha, are an order of mammals of which there are two families, Leporidae (hares and rabbits), and Ochotonidae (pikas). ... Michael Rogers Oldfield Thomas (February 21, 1858 - June 16, 1929) was a British zoologist. ... Johann Heinrich Friedrich Link (February 2, 1767 - January 1, 1850) was a German naturalist and botanist. ... In scientific classification, a type is a specimen or description that corresponds to a taxon (a group of organisms), and helps to identify which organisms may be referred to with that name. ... Johann Heinrich Friedrich Link (February 2, 1767 - January 1, 1850) was a German naturalist and botanist. ... Peter Simon Pallas (September 22, 1741 - September 8, 1811) was a German-born Russian zoologist. ... In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biodiversity. ...

The name pika (archaically spelled pica) is used for any member of the Ochotonidae, a family within the order of lagomorphs, which also includes the Leporidae (rabbits and hares). One genus, Ochotona, is recognised within the family, and it includes 30 species. Pikas are also called rock rabbits or coneys. It is also known as the "whistling hare" due to its high-pitched alarm call when diving into its burrow. The pika may look like a hamster, but is actually a cousin of the rabbit. The name "pika" appears to be derived from the Tungus "piika", or perhaps from the Russian "pikat'", to squeak. In the United States the pronunciation of the name is usually altered from /pika/ to /pɪka/, probably due to the spelling. In biological classification, family (Latin: familia, plural familiae) is 1) a rank or 2) a taxon in that rank. ... Scientific classification or biological classification refers to how biologists group and categorize extinct and living species of organisms. ... Families The Lagomorphs, order Lagomorpha, are an order of mammals of which there are two families, Leporidae (hares and rabbits), and Ochotonidae (pikas). ... Genera Pentalagus Bunolagus Nesolagus Romerolagus Brachylagus Sylvilagus Oryctolagus Poelagus Caprolagus Pronolagus Lepus Leporids are the approximately 50 species of rabbits and hares which form the family Leporidae. ... Genera Pentalagus Bunolagus Nesolagus Romerolagus Brachylagus Sylvilagus Oryctolagus Poelagus Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in many parts of the world. ... Species Many, see text Hares and jackrabbits belong to family Leporidae, and mostly in genus Lepus. ... In biology, alarm call refers to various vocalizations by animals in response to danger. ... Tungusic languages (or Manchu-Tungus languages) are spoken in Eastern Siberia and Manchuria. ...

Habitat

Pikas are native to cold climates, mostly in Asia, North America and parts of eastern Europe. Eurasian pikas commonly live in family groups and share duties of gathering food and keeping watch. North American pikas (O. princeps and O. collaris) are asocial. World map showing the location of Asia. ... World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America. ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... Eurasia African-Eurasian aspect of Earth Eurasia is the landmass composed of Europe and Asia. ... World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America. ...

In the mountains of Eurasia, pikas often share their burrows with snowfinches, which build their nests there. Eurasia African-Eurasian aspect of Earth Eurasia is the landmass composed of Europe and Asia. ... Species The snowfinches are the genus Montifringilla of passerine birds. ...

Activity

Pikas show their peak activity before the winter season. Pikas do not hibernate, so they rely on collected hay for warm bedding and food. Pikas gather fresh grasses and lay them in stacks to dry. Once the grasses dry out, the pikas take this hay back to the burrows for storage. It is not uncommon for pikas to steal hay from others; the resulting disputes are usually exploited by neighboring predators like ferrets and large birds. Hibernation is a state of inactivity and metabolic depression in animals, characterized by lower body temperature, slower breathing, and lower metabolic rate, to conserve energy, especially during winter. ... This snapping turtle is trying to make a meal of a Canada goose, but the goose is too wary. ... Trinomial name Mustela putorius furo (Linnaeus, 1758) In general use, a ferret is a domestic ferret (Mustela putorius furo). ...

In a January 2006 article in the Journal of Biogeography, archeologist Donald Grayson warned that human activity and global climate change appeared to be pushing the American pika population to ever-higher elevations and thus possibly toward extinction. Grayson studied pika habitation over the past 40,000 years in the region between the Sierra Nevada (US) and Rocky Mountains. An earlier Journal of Mammalogy article reached a similar conclusion. Biogeography is the science which deals with patterns of species distribution and the processes that result in such patterns. ... Variations in CO2, temperature and dust from the Vostok ice core over the last 400,000 years Climate change refers to the variation in the Earths global climate or in regional climates over time. ... Basic Definition In geography, the elevation of a geographic location is its height above mean sea level (or some other fixed point). ... The Dodo, shown here in illustration, is an often-cited[1] example of extinction. ... The Sierra Nevada is a mountain range that is almost entirely in the eastern portion of the U.S. state of California. ... Moraine Lake, and the Valley of the Ten Peaks, Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada The Rocky Mountains, often called the Rockies, are a broad mountain range in western North America. ... Orders Multituberculata (extinct) Volaticotheria (extinct) Palaeoryctoides (extinct) Triconodonta (extinct) Subclass Australosphenida Ausktribosphenida Monotremata Subclass Eutheria (excludes extinct ancestors) Afrosoricida Anagaloidea (extinct) Arctostylopida (extinct) Artiodactyla Carnivora Cetacea Chiroptera Cimolesta (extinct) Cingulata Creodonta (extinct) Condylarthra (extinct) Dermoptera Desmostylia (extinct) Dinocerata (extinct) Embrithopoda (extinct) Hyracoidea Insectivora Lagomorpha Leptictida (extinct) Litopterna (extinct) Macroscelidea Mesonychia...

Species

• ORDER LAGOMORPHA^[1]
  • Family Ochotonidae: pikas
    • Genus Ochotona
      • Subgenus Pika: northern pikas
        • Alpine Pika/Altai Pika, Ochotona alpina
        • Silver Pika, Ochotona argentata
        • Collared Pika, Ochotona collaris
        • Hoffmann's Pika, Ochotona hoffmanni
        • Northern Pika/Siberian Pika, Ochotona hyperborea
        • Pallas's Pika, Ochotona pallasi
        • American Pika, Ochotona princeps
        • Turuchan Pika, Ochotona turuchanensis
      • Subgenus Ochotona: shrub-steppe pikas
        • Gansu Pika/Gray Pika, Ochotona cansus
        • Plateau Pika/Black-lipped Pika, Ochotona curzoniae
        • Daurian Pika, Ochotona dauurica
        • Tsing-ling Pika, Ochotona huangensis
        • Nubra Pika, Ochotona nubrica
        • Steppe Pika, Ochotona pusilla
        • Afghan Pika, Ochotona rufescens
        • Moupin Pika, Ochotona thibetana
        • Thomas's Pika, Ochotona thomasi
      • Subgenus Conothoa: mountain pikas
        • Chinese Red Pika, Ochotona erythrotis
        • Forrest's Pika, Ochotona forresti
        • Gaoligong Pika, Ochotona gaoligongensis
        • Glover's Pika, Ochotona gloveri
        • Himalayan Pika, Ochotona himalayana
        • Ili Pika, Ochotona iliensis
        • Kozlov's Pika, Ochotona koslowi
        • Ladak Pika, Ochotona ladacensis
        • Large-eared Pika, Ochotona macrotis
        • Muli Pika, Ochotona muliensis
        • Black Pika, Ochotona nigritia
        • Royle's Pika, Ochotona roylei
        • Turkestan Red Pika, Ochotona rutila

Families The Lagomorphs, order Lagomorpha, are an order of mammals of which there are two families, Leporidae (hares and rabbits), and Ochotonidae (pikas). ... The collared pika is small (~160 gram) alpine lagomorph that lives in boulderfields in northern British Columbia, Yukon, Alaska, and western Northwest territiories. ... Binomial name Ochotona hyperborea Pallas, 1811 The Northern Pika, Ochotona hyperborea, is a species of pika found across northern Asia, from the Ural Mountains to northern Japan and south through Mongolia, Manchuria, and northern Korea. ... Binomial name Ochotona princeps The American pika is an diurnal species of pika that is found in the mountains of western North America, usually in boulder fields at or above tree line. ...

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Hoffmann, Robert S.; Andrew T. Smith (November 16, 2005). Wilson, D. E., and Reeder, D. M. (eds): Mammal Species of the World, 3rd edition, Johns Hopkins University Press, 185-193. ISBN 0-801-88221-4.

External links

• Reuters story on CNN.com: "American pika seen headed toward extinction" - 2005-12-30
• The Trek of the Pika "A story complete with sounds of pika calls" 2002-10-30
• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.