The collared pika (Ochotona collaris) is a species of mammal in the pika family, Ochotonidae, and part of the order Lagomorpha, which comprises rabbits, hares, and pikas. It is a small (about ) alpine lagomorph that lives in boulder fields of central and southern Alaska (U.S.), and in parts of Canada, including northern British Columbia, Yukon, and western parts of the Northwest Territories. It is closely related to the American pika (O. princeps), but it is a monotypic form containing no <!-- other --> recognized subspecies. and spends a large part of its time in the summer collecting vegetation that is stored under rocks ("haypiles") as a supply of food for the winter. Some individuals have been observed collecting and consuming dead birds as sources of fat and protein. Thousands of trips are made during July and August to collect vegetation for winter.
Fossil history
In 1973, within the Pleistocene deposits in central Alaska, preserved specimens of collared pika were found along with some dung pellets; the Yukon territory also contained some early fossilized specimens. while on the ventral side they have opaque, white-colored fur. Their winter pelts are similar to O. princeps, but during the other seasons, O. collaris fur is a darker gray and is less thick than in the winter; During the summer, young that resemble the size of an adult are fully gray, while actual adults are tinged brown around their heads and necks. They have constricted, flat skulls with no supraorbital processes, slender zygomatic arches, and 26 teeth. More specifically, in Alaska, they occur most frequently in ranges around the Yukon-Tanana uplands and Chigmit Mountains, to the head of Lynn Canal near Skagway. In Canada, they occur from Richardson Mountains, south into northwestern British Columbia and west close to the Mackenzie River of the Northwest Territories. Due to these talus sites, the species' range distribution is broken into several condensed areas. When gathering food, pika rarely travels more than away from its talus site.
Predation
Collared pikas are defenseless against predators and can only hide within cracks or crevices in the mountainous areas where they live; the rocks of the terrain are their only shelter. Upon finding some asynchronous breeding among pikas, due to not being able to predict snowmelt, this type of breeding could ensure some success in breeding. The struggle to survive the winters and the fast-rate climate variations have affected their growing season and availability of resources, especially from the negative impact of not having snowpacks to keep them insulated or to keep their food and shelters hidden from predators. As a collared pika prepares to call, it sits with a hunched back and points its nose upward. No population trend is known, but the population of collared pikas has experienced a decline since 1995 in the Yukon area, and is proposed to have a higher probability of extinction within that specific area in 10 to 15 years.