Recently I have been photographing high up in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. This portion of the Rockies has a lot of peaks over 10,000 feet and even some over 14,000. At these heights it is never completely snow free, looking more like a moonscape because it’s devoid of any trees. Only highly specialized critters that have mastered this harsh environment live here such as the American Pika (Ochotona princeps).

The pika is an adorable fuzzy critter in the rodent family. They are only seven or eight inches long and weight just five ounces. Although it may look like and act like a squirrel they are actually more closely related to rabbits and hares. In fact they are the smallest member of the rabbit family. They have a round plump body, no visible tail, and a large head with big round ears. Their face is pushed in making them incredibly cute. They are tan in color to match the rocky habitat in which they live.

They inhabit large rock piles which are common on mountain tops. They scurry around the rocks, stopping frequently to look around. Often they scamper to the top of a large rock and look around surveying the territory. This is usually where they give a single high-pitched call. Usually when one calls, the others in the area will call back.

Finding pike to photograph involves going as high as possible in the mountains. They need cool to cold environment. As it is with all habitat specialists, the pika is facing some major challenges. Climate change, or the general warming of the planet is directly impacting the American Pika. Often the Polar Bear is cited as the poster-child of climate change victims. Well, it seems that the American Pika might be the first species with the distinction of going extinct due to global warming.

Pika are susceptible to over-heating. Unlike other animals which might be able to move to other habitats, the pika has nowhere to go. They are already at the tops of the mountains where it is the coolest. They can’t go any higher. They are at the end of their rope, so to speak. Continued warming will only push this critter closer to extinction.

Alpine zones suitable for pika covers less than 5 percent of the planet’s surface. This habitat is basically an island in the sky. Over the past century the high mountain habitats have warmed about 1 degree F. which has lead to trees moving upward eventually overtaking the mountain tops and pushing out the pika. Researchers predict that as temperatures rise the pika will abandon lower talus slopes and move higher until they are eventually stuck at the top with nowhere to go.

I took several afternoons to spend some time studying and photographing the pika. Using a long lens and tripod I positioned myself to watch across a large scattering of small boulders. When I would see a pika scurrying I would slowly move forward to get a good angle. The long lens allows me to stay far enough away from the critter to be able to observer and document natural behaviors. This is extremely important and also common sense. No need to disturb the pika in order to capture some images.

It didn’t take long before spotting one particular energetic pika racing amongst the rocks. Waiting for the right moment I moved up and positioned my camera. I stay as low as possible and also wore camouflage clothing to blend in. The pika was perfectly comfortable with me and was going about his daily duties.

Pika are herbivores, consuming mainly grasses and alpine flowers that grow around the protection of the rocks. They gather up large mouthfuls of the plants and bring them back to their den site. They will lay the plants out in the sun to dry before storing them underground for winter. This stops the plants from getting moldy. They don’t hibernate so a large stockpile of dried food is the only chance to survive the winter.

I was able to capture some amazing images of this critter on the edge. While sitting in the windswept and sun drenched mountain top I watch and wonder if this mountain top specialist will be able to survive and hang on. Until next time…

Stan Tekiela is an author / naturalist and widlife photographer who travels the US to study and photograph wildlife. He can be contacted at www.naturesmart.com or follow him on Facebook.com or Twitter.com.