Potato-shaped critter visible now may predict climate change in Colorado

A pika suns itself on some rocks.Photo byDiana RobertsonUnsplash

They're shaped like a potato and tend to bake in hot weather, biologists say. That's why you will find cheeky little pikas in Colorado's mountains.

But climate change could cause these critters' numbers to dwindle, according to wildlife experts. Like polar bears, Pikas may predict warmer temperatures, scientists say.

The Colorado Pika Project, sponsored by the Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance and Rocky Mountain Wild, uses citizen scientsts to inventory the rabbit relative, according to their website.

According to the project, "Colorado’s pika population is currently stable, but scientists and wildlife managers are increasingly concerned about their future. The state’s climate has warmed substantially in the past 30 years, and all current climate model projections indicate that this trend will continue—to the point that typical summer temperatures in 2050 will be on par with the hottest summers Coloradans have experienced in the past century."

Pikas could be gone from park by 2100

The project reports that a federal report in the 2010s titled, "Pikas in Peril" predicted that the fur balls could be eradicated in Rocky Mountain National Park by 2100.

"Similar to polar bears, American pikas have been making news as an indicator species for climate change," according to the website. "There’s substantial evidence that American pikas have disappeared from some of their established habitat in recent decades, particularly in the Great Basin in Nevada and southern Oregon (where average site elevations have risen by up to 900 feet) and at sites within the Sierra Nevada and southern Utah. Researchers have directly linked these disappearances to climate change."

Pikas forage for food

These little round animals work very hard, according to the Pika Project. "What vegetation exists is only accessible during the summer months," according to the website. "There’s no feasting for a long winter’s sleep either: Like rabbits and hares, pikas don’t hibernate. Instead, they keep warm thanks to an extremely thick fur coat, a high metabolism, and a high resting body temperature of roughly 104.2 degrees: a life-threatening level for a human."

Can you spot the pika sunning itself on the rocks?Photo byAndy SanchezonUnsplash

In the summer months the pikas furiously gather food for the Alpine winter. "In Colorado, pikas will spend most of the summer collecting grasses and forbs (flowering plants) from nearby alpine meadows and then laying them out to dry in organized collections tucked in amongst the talus," according to the website. "These so-called 'haypiles' serve as the winter food cache for each pika: its lifeline to survive until the next summer. Because of this, pika territories and haypiles are defended fiercely."

Planning for a pika expedition

For experienced mountain hikers, pika haypiles can be spotted in talus fields in summer and in early fall. "You’re likely to spot the owner nearby, running back and forth with fresh grass and flowers in its mouth," according to the website. " Pikas will make up to 14,000 foraging trips in order to collect enough food for the winter. Given that most alpine summers last only eight to 10 weeks, that’s an average of over 200 trips per day."

If you want to spot a pika and are equipped for a hike in the high country, now's the time to go.