🐇 ❤ Bunny Love ❤ 🐇

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The above is a below link image of an American pika, an alpine rabbit species, with a really nice article.

https://www.sfgate.com/national-par...nge-rocky-mountain-national-park-21063528.php

They are abundant in Sierra Nevada timberline and alpine areas where talus slopes meet green plant areas. I see them often along with another larger timberline species, the yellow-bellied marmot. Talus are boulder fields below steep slopes in mountains or where ancient glaciers have left piles of such boulder moraines across landscapes. All one needs to do is find areas above about 9000 feet where they make their residences within labyrinths of heavy boulders that larger carnivores cannot move or dig down within. They are quick to high-pitch squeak a warning when anything approaches. What can get them in talus are long-tailed weasels that look like small narrow dachsunds and birds of prey.

The High Sierra has an abundance of talus. The below image shows a shallow tarn at 10500 feet with rusty metamorphic talus at frame left and whitish granite at right. Granite dominates much of the High Sierra with talus fans below its many steep slopes. Both marmots and pikas would live within boulders above the edge of the green meadow.

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Unlike most other rabbit species, they are rather vocal. When I find such places and hear their squeeks and chirping, I will sometimes find a nice shady spot to sit down at, set up my camera atop its tripod, and then wait for the little creatures to come back out. As long as one stays relatively still and quiet, they will go about their business. When siting my tent near such areas, one can often hear whole communities of pikas chirping at near to far distances at dawn. Below link is to a nice 3 minute video of pikas eating and vocalizing. Notice how like other rabbit species they twitch their nose to smell.

 
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