moosefish's Identifications

American Pikas are lagomorphs, placing them in the same order as rabbits and hares. Across much of North America they are high elevation specialists, living in talus slopes surrounded by vegetation. This one is building a "hay pile"; gathering leaves and shoots to dry out in the summer sun before stashing them away for the winter.

Due to their disappearance from numerous sites within the Great Basin, they are being studied as a species that may be exceptionally vulnerable to global warming.

Heard first and then seen. Two young pika seen in the rocks by the waterline of the southeast corner of Steelhead Lake. They were between the path and the lake, a small slope no more than 15 feet wide. When we hiked back by this location later at 11:55am we once again saw and heard two pika at this location.

Heard first and then seen. Two adult pika and one young pika. At the base of a very large talus slope on the northwest corner of Shamrock Lake, next to a lot of nice green vegetation. Both adults were seen haystacking to different locations. The young pika was seen lower down on the slope. We watched these pike for 70 minutes, during which time they were active and calling most of the time.