Pika

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Ochotona princeps 

     This stocky, tailless little animal with the Roman nose is about 175 mm long and is found in the mountain regions of western Alberta, British Columbia and the Yukon. Diurnal in its habits, it appears in early morning and disappears into its grass-lined nest, hidden in rock crevices, shortly after sunset. 
     The pika spends considerable time sunning itself on a favourite lookout rock, against which its ‘salt-and-pepper’ coat is difficult to distinguish. 
     Remaining active throughout the winter under the snow, the pika subsists on stacks of cured grasses and sedges which it stockpiles during the summer months. 
     Preyed upon by eagles, hawks, bears and foxes, its most dangerous foe is the ermine, which is capable of following it into its rocky tunnels.