Sixth Grade
Worksheets
Pikas
Pikas are cute little mammals. They have large eyes, rounded ears, and soft fur. They have stocky bodies. And they are tailless. At first glance, pikas remind us of hamsters (which actually have tails -- very short ones). But the two animals are not closely related. Hamsters are rodents. Pikas are not. Their closest relatives are rabbits and hares.
Pikas (pronounced as either "pie-ca" or "pee-ca"") are also known as rock rabbits or conies. They like to live in cold places, especially on snow-capped mountaintops. They can be found in Europe, Asia, and North America. In the United States, they favor the western states. Oregon, Washington, and California, for example, are among those that they call home.
Pikas are mostly active during the day. And they seem to always be in a rush, dashing in and out of their burrows all the time.
