Collared pika
Images copyright by Mark A. Chappell
Collared pikas (Ochotona collaris) are very similar to the pikas found farther south (O. princeps). Pikas are unusual little lagomorphs -- rabbit relatives -- that live in high-altitude rockpiles. They are very territorial, bark loudly at intruders, and gather green vegetation into 'haystacks' that serve as a winter food source. Pikas rely on these stores instead of hibernating, as do many other small mammals in cold habitats. These were in rockpiles along the road over Polychrome Pass in Denali National Park, Alaska.