I captured these American Pika (Ochotona princeps) images during a shoot this summer in Rocky Mountain National Park, achieving one of my “checklist” photo goals for this summer.  I put these animals on my checklist for a couple of reasons.  First, obviously, they are highly photogenic.  Second, they are a  welcome challenge to photograph.  Pika are smaller than a Guinea pig, move fast, and do not sit still for long.  Third, their biology is interesting.  Pika do not hibernate; instead, they spend the brief alpine summer collecting and drying hay to consume during the winter, making careful use of toxic plants to keep the hay piles from decaying.

The final reason, however, is sobering. Pika are relics of the last ice age, and are extremely intolerant of heat. (Some reports say that they will die within one hour if exposed to temperatures higher than 75 degrees Fahrenheit).  To some degree they can move up slope to beat the heat, but for obvious reasons that only works until they hit the top.  (The animals in these images, for example, already reside among the highest mountains in Rocky Mountain National Park. They cannot go higher in search of cooler temperatures).  Pika face further problems from global warming, because they depend on snow cover for insulation in winter.  In short, Pika are at serious risk from climate change.   I made these images to capture the Pika while I still can, and to bring some small amount of attention to their plight.

Ok, enough soapbox. I really like these images, though in reviewing and editing them I realize that I often tried to get too close to the Pika, struggling to capture frame-filling images (like the third image below).  My favorite images from the trip show how the Pika fits into its environment (for example, notice how well the Pika above is camouflaged in the talus slope)  and show just how small the animal is.

If you enjoy these images, please post a comment below.  And please give a thought for the Pika next time you think about climate change.