American pika: Where It Lives, Map & Facts

Where the American pika lives – recorded in 2 countries, with quick facts from Wikidata and an introduction from Wikipedia.

Scientific name	Ochotona princeps
Group	Rabbits, hares & pikas
Status	Least concern (Wikidata, IUCN category label)
Found in	2 countries
Continents	North America
Mass	148 g (adult weight)
Class	Mammal
Order	Lagomorpha
Family	Ochotonidae

Where does the American pika live?

Open-licence (CC0 / CC BY) wild records published on GBIF place the American pika in 2 countries and territories across North America.

Countries with at least a handful of records (a minimum share of the species’ records, to leave out vagrants and escapes). Records with coordinates only; captive and fossil records excluded.

How big is an American pika?

Wikidata records the following for the American pika: mass 148 g (adult weight).

Is the American pika endangered?

The American pika’s conservation status recorded in Wikidata is “Least concern” (an IUCN Red List category label). Source: Wikidata.

What kind of animal is the American pika?

The American pika (Ochotona princeps) is a mammal in the order Lagomorpha and the family Ochotonidae, genus Ochotona. (Taxonomy from Wikidata.)

About the American pika

The American pika (Ochotona princeps) is a small, herbivorous mammal of the family Ochotonidae, closely related to rabbits and hares (order Lagomorpha). It is native to the mountainous regions of western North America, typically inhabiting rocky slopes and talus fields at or above the tree line higher elevation. Unlike most mammals of similar size, the American pika is diurnal, being active primarily during the day. It employs two distinct foraging strategies: directly consuming vegetation or gathering and storing plant materials in "haypiles" to sustain itself through the winter months, a behavior known as haying.

Pikas are vocal animals, using a variety of calls and songs both to warn of approaching predators and during the breeding season. Predators of the American pika include eagles, hawks, coyotes, bobcats, foxes, and weasels.

Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article American pika (revision 1378000614), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: lead section excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Quick facts, taxonomy and status: Wikidata Q469908 (CC0). Countries and pin: GBIF.org occurrence records (CC0 / CC BY 4.0).