Pikas – cute animals that will melt your heart (7 adorable pictures)

They have round ears, brown and grey fur, long whiskers, and an egg-shaped body. Unlike mice, pikas don’t have long tails. Despite its mouse-like appearance, the pika belongs to the same order as rabits and hares.

To survive the cold season, pikas start collecting grass, twigs, and plants in the summertime. They store all the food in their burrows.

Their mating season starts in April and ends in July. They usually breed twice a year, but a lot depends on their location. Their gestation period is one month. Their babies are dependent until they are 18 days old. They reach adult size at the age of 3 months.

Pikas got this name because of their high-pitched call. They are also known as “mouse hares” and “rock rabbits”.

They live in mostly in Asia, North America, and parts of Eastern Europe. Some also live in the mountainsides of Eurasia. If they are exposed to above 25.5 °C (77.9 °F), they may die. Due to temperature changes, some pika populations are forced to live at altitudes much higher than they used to.

Eurasian pikas share food with the members of their family and stand on guard for each other. Northern pikas, on the other hand, live solitary lives and only communicate with other pikas when they need to breed.

Pikas have special calls for warning signals, territory defense, individual recognition, and a call to attract the opposite sex. Pikas often bark when they are scared. Sometimes they bark to warn other animals about nearby danger. When weasels are nearby, the pikas sit quiet in order not to expose themselves.