Daily Postcard: An American Pika munching on a leaf at Bandelier National Monument. American Pikas are found in isolated colonies only in the higher elevations at Bandelier. This small ball of fur eats a variety of green plants. They also collect plant materials and store them in ‘haystacks’ under rocks to eat during the winter. Pikas are closely related to rabbits and hares. In comparison to their relatives, pikas have shorter, rounder ears, and their hind legs are only slightly longer than their front legs. Unlike rabbits, pikas run and don’t hop. Pikas emit a variety of sounds; their calls are very different from those made by their typically very-quiet cousins. In and around Bandelier, pikas are active mostly during the morning and evening hours. They will often venture off their rockpile homes to eat or collect plants for later consumption. Pikas do not hibernate but stay active all winter long traveling in tunnels under the rocks and snow. In fact, a deep blanket of snow is important for the pika’s survival. If the snow is deep enough it provides insulation for the pikas living below. Too little snow and the pikas risk freezing to death. The pikas stay alive during the long cold winter by eating dried plants cached earlier in the year and may travel out to vegetated areas nearby to collect more plant materials when possible. Photo by Sally King/NPS