The American Pika, known as both cute and friendly, is not just a pretty face. This wild animal, living in the western part of North America, is also a talented florist, spending the entire summer collecting the best fresh flowers.
When this adorable mountain-dwelling herbivore begins storing food to survive the harsh winter, people have noticed it running back and forth with a series of beautiful “bouquets”.
The US National Park Service explains that the pika is a close relative of rabbits and hares, smaller in size, doesn’t hibernate, and remains active during the cold months, traversing tunnels under rocks and snow. Therefore, when the wildflowers on the alpine meadows start blooming abundantly, this furry animal must collect enough food to last through the winter. This sweet but very labor-intensive activity is called “haying”.
This cute little animal is only the size of a hamster, with legs less than 2 inches long. However, according to the Colorado Pika Project, it can still make up to 200 trips down to the grasslands each day, then rush back up rocky slopes with the harvest to its higher-altitude burrow.
The harvested fruits are called haypiles, a nutritious mix of grasses, flowers, and herbs, with the collected plants left out in the sun to dry. The haypiles grow abundantly but have a short growing season, lasting only around 10 weeks – this means the small animal’s storage spaces must hold food for a full 10 months, with drying in the sun to prevent molding.
One study indicates that the furry and adorable pika has an impressive strategy for dealing with dangerous plants.
In the colorful feast of wildflowers, some species contain high levels of toxic secondary compounds that would make the pika sick if consumed directly. Therefore, smart pikas will stash these plants alongside others to reduce mold in the entire haypile. By winter, the toxins would have degraded, allowing the pika to freely gnaw on them without harm.
Easily digestible plants are consumed directly by the pika, which eagerly gains weight to prepare for winter.
Life for pikas on the rocky slopes and alpine meadows of the western United States and Canada is harsh, with much of their year spent facing severe winters and food scarcity. However, when summer arrives, the sun brings plentiful food. For brave herbivores, everything is prepared.
The endless search for food requires significant hard work, with pikas also stealing from each other’s haypiles, hence territories being closely guarded.
If you hear a series of loud “squeaks” in the Rocky Mountains during the summer, much like the squeaking of a rubber toy, it might be a disgruntled pika defending its floral treasure trove.
The Colorado Pika Project says, “The American pika is a very talkative animal!”
Source: The American Pika Is Nature’s Cutest and Smartest Florist—Here’s How It Manages Its ‘Food Pantry’ by Anna Mason in English Epoch Times.