In truth I am sure the little guy was really just trying to decide if the blooms would make a good meal but it sounds better to think it was just doing something we all should do every now and then.
Last year I didn’t do so well with these tiny high-altitude residents but this past weekend I spotted and photographed a number of them without much difficulty. This particular one was quite active, bounding from rock to green patch to rock to green patch, trying to decide what to eat and what to gather to stash back at its home.
Despite their size, they are among the toughest mammals, spending their entire lives in the harsh, high altitude environment. It is said this species of pika may become a victim of a warming climate. Studies suggest the American pika is being driven to higher elevations in search of cooler temperatures. As it moves higher however, it could eventually run out of places cool enough to survive, leading to its demise.
