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@nationalparkservice Pika-boo! Meet the American pika, a tiny mountain mammal roughly the size of a baked potato. Across pika species, adults typically measure 5.9–9.1 inches long and weigh 4.2–12.3 ounces. They’re the smallest members of the lagomorph family, which also includes rabbits and hares. But don’t let the little bittiness fool you. Pikas spend summer preparing for winter by gathering grasses and wildflowers into piles of hay called, um, haypiles. Yes, haypiles. Pikas aren’t particularly social, and they take their personal space seriously. Same. They defend their territories and food supplies, sometimes keeping their neighbors more than 100 feet away. Boundaries. Not just lines on a map. Unlike some other mountain mammals, pikas don’t hibernate. Their high metabolism keeps them active through winter, when they shelter beneath insulating snow and rely on their carefully collected haypiles for food. Fun fact: A pika’s favorite Halloween costume is a…you guessed it! Potato. Young pikas usually go as tater tots. NPS Photos of pikas Photo of a “pika” in costume.
