Pika or Mouse-Hare in Spiti

From the archive record

These are Pikas or Mouse-Hare (Ochotona) as they are called! Seen here in Spiti, Himachal Pradesh, India. The pika or pica is a small mammal with short limbs, rounded ears, and a short tail. The name pika is used for any member of Ochotonidae, a family within the order of lagomorphs, that also includes the Leporidae (rabbits and hares). One genus, Ochotona, is recognised within the family, and includes 30 species. The Pika is also known as the "whistling hare" due to the high-pitched alarm call they use when diving into their burrows. The marmots are a genus, Marmota, of squirrels. There are 14 species in this genus. Marmots are generally large ground squirrels. Those most often referred to as marmots tend to live in mountainous areas such as the Alps, northern Appenines, Eurasian steppes,