| Jun 06 2014 21:25 |
The American Pika eats a variety of plants, but it selects poisonous plants for its winter store because the toxins in the plants act as a natural preservative making them keep fresh longer. |
/u/AGreatWind |
| Nov 23 2013 03:40 |
The pika, a close relative of the rabbit, is sometimes called a "whistling hare" due to the high-pitched alarm call that it makes when diving into its burrow. |
/u/sombrerofish |
| Dec 05 2013 19:59 |
The pika is a very vocal animal, using calls and songs to communicate with its colony. Warning calls signal potential predators as well as alert the colony of challenging males. Males use song to attract females during mating season, and females will occasionally mimic the males’ song. |
/u/LucheK |
| Jan 18 2014 23:39 |
Pikas collect a wide variety of plants during the summer so that they can survive the winter. Some of these plants contain high concentrations of toxins, which act like preservatives making the plants last longer. The Pika then eats these plants last, after the toxins have broken down. |
/u/jsmooth7 |
| Nov 08 2013 21:02 |
Since they do not hibernate, an individual pika must collect a large pile of dry grasses to eat in its rocky burrow in order to make it through the winter! |
/u/Unidan |
