Mountain Moment: Call of the Pika
Channel: Mount Rainier National Park
Date: 24/08/2019

Why does the pika call? To warn of predators or entice mates? Maybe to just say "hi" to a friend? Pika (Ochotona princeps) calls may all sound like  "eep!" to human ears, but to a pika they can be very distinct. There is research that pikas can recognize other individual pikas by their call! Sounds is an important way to connect when you are a small animal in a big landscape. What do you think this pika is saying? 

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NPS Video. Description: A pika, a small rabbit-like animal with round ears, perches on the edge of a rock and calls out.