Wildlife N-epal.com

The Nepalese Pika (Ochotona princeps) is a diurnal species of pika that is found in the mountains of western Nepal. They are flower-gathering animals, which are the smallest of the rabbit group. This Nepalese Pika has a small, round, egg-shaped body, which is covered with brown fur. They have large and round ears, and no visible tail. They usually weigh about 170 grams. They make their homes in the cracks between piles of rocks. They are active throughout the day. They devote most of the day in searching for food, guarding their territory, and watching for predators, which includes: eagles, hawks, coyotes, bobcats, foxes, and weasels. They are flower-gathering herbivore. They eat a large variety of green plants, including different kinds of grasses, sedges, thistles and fireweed. When they find food, they eat a portion of it and take the rest for safekeeping in a pile, for use during the winter season. This pika moves the pile around in order to protect it from various kinds of weather. After it has dried, the pika will then move it into its den. During the summer season, pikas feed on short alpine grasses and on their stored food during the winter. If their food supplies are low during the winter, they will search either for lichens or cushion plants, which can be accessible by their underground tunnels. This pika was seen at the rocky mountain of Lantang  National Park, Mid-Western Nepal. Fauna of Nepal…Nepalese Pika