American Pika #4 (ochotona princeps), soft pastel, 8x6”
Pikas are amazing! These small relatives of rabbits and hares live near or above the tree line in the highest elevations of Yosemite National Park. The talus fields where pikas call home experience a severe cold that would be unbearable for most of us. Surprisingly, pikas do not hibernate. They survive the cold winters by living off cached grasses and other plants they store in “hay piles”.
While a tiny pika may seem incredibly tough, they are very sensitive to heat. As a result of a warming climate, pikas are forced to move to higher and higher elevations. This creates habitat “islands”. Daytime heat forces picas to take shelter, decreasing the amount of time they can forage for food. Since the 1990’s the populations of pikas have rapidly decreased. They are currently at risk of extinction. While pikas have disappeared in some areas, there is still a thriving population at Gaylor Lakes, Yosemite National Park.
American Pika #4 (ochotona princeps), soft pastel, 8x6”
Pikas are amazing! These small relatives of rabbits and hares live near or above the tree line in the highest elevations of Yosemite National Park. The talus fields where pikas call home experience a severe cold that would be unbearable for most of us. Surprisingly, pikas do not hibernate. They survive the cold winters by living off cached grasses and other plants they store in “hay piles”.
While a tiny pika may seem incredibly tough, they are very sensitive to heat. As a result of a warming climate, pikas are forced to move to higher and higher elevations. This creates habitat “islands”. Daytime heat forces picas to take shelter, decreasing the amount of time they can forage for food. Since the 1990’s the populations of pikas have rapidly decreased. They are currently at risk of extinction. While pikas have disappeared in some areas, there is still a thriving population at Gaylor Lakes, Yosemite National Park.