 Northern Pika Ochotona hyperborea yesoensis (Abridgement) Pika is a small rabbit lives in cold climate zone of the periglacial area
around arctic cercle. There are 26 spieces in the world, and the Nothern Pika lives only in Hokkaido called 'yezo'.Pika is known as a Survivor of the Ice Age, like Ptarmigan in the world. Their habitat is a accumulation of rocks surrounded by coniferous forest, where cool air flows in and out from tunnels or gaps of rock piles. They live from low land, Oketo district to the top of Mt.Daisetsu, Pika lives in a hole/ space of rocks, and moves through rock tunnels  (left) Altitude distribution %, blue bar is the number of sites (charted by auhor).The population is not decreased so far, it's a common status, but it sure will decrease by environmetal change of habitat decrease caused by the Global Warming. It'll be a Threatened Species in the near future. It's an index of Global Warming, as bird I followed long years. see author and birds |
| Pika is highly vocal and social animals. They live in a colony. Pika is named by its calling like pie-ka. Cries
of pika in Japan is heard like 'pit', 'pitt', or 'pitch', Male pika cries
4 or 5 times in a row. (right).Cony calls like 'bee-jee','bee-jeeeeee', it's a warning call. I thought it was a bird.   |
 Pika likes resting on a rock in a sunshine. American Pika, Cony in Rocky Mountains (above right).Pika eat flowers, plants and hoarding especially in fall for wintering, so people call it a hay maker. Large habitat in Japan One of there large habitat near the Lake Shikaribetu, 700 m. See rock-accumulated  area in the center (looks grey in color) . Their habitat is in semi-arctic vegetation, broad-leaf trees shown in light green and conifer shown in deep green. (left) Busy hoarding in fall. |