American Pika
American Pika - Related Videos
12:48
Blood Collection from the American Horseshoe Crab, Limulus Polyphemus
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Cited by 27 •
2008
The American horseshoe crab, Limulus polyphemus, is arguably the most convenient source for large quantities of blood of any invertebrate. The blood is simple in composition, with only one cell-type in the general circulation, the granular amebocyte, and only three abundant proteins in the plasma, hemocyanin, the C-reactive proteins, and α2-macroglobulin. Blood is collected from the heart and the blood cells and plasma are separated by centrifugation.
01:22
American Trypanosomiasis
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2026
Chagas disease, or American trypanosomiasis, is a vector-borne parasitic infection caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, a flagellated protozoan (kinetoplastid) of the family Trypanosomatidae. The disease is endemic in Latin America, although cases are increasingly reported worldwide due to human migration. Transmission most commonly occurs when feces of infected triatomine bugs contaminate bite wounds or mucosal surfaces; additional routes include congenital, transfusional, transplant-related, and oral...
06:15
A Modified Trier Social Stress Test for Vulnerable Mexican American Adolescents
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Cited by 17 •
2017
Here, we present a protocol that provoked cortisol reactivity in a vulnerable adolescent Mexican American sample utilizing a modified version of the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST). Saliva samples were collected at baseline, 15, 30, and 45 min post-TSST onset. Future research could utilize this modified TSST with vulnerable youth.
12:47
A Technique to Screen American Beech for Resistance to the Beech Scale Insect (Cryptococcus fagisuga Lind.)
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Cited by 8 •
2014
Beech bark disease is initiated by feeding activities of the beech scale insect that create fungal entry points in the bark. Trees that are resistant to the scale insect are also disease resistant. Here we present the protocol we have developed to screen individual beech trees for beech scale resistance.
06:32
Applications of RNA Interference in American Cockroach
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Cited by 9 •
2021
The present protocol describes step-by-step guidelines for the RNAi operation techniques in P. americana.
FAQs
Temperature strongly influences when American pikas can remain active. Their dense fur provides insulation, but their limited ability to dissipate heat makes warm conditions restrictive. As a result, warm conditions can reduce activity and shape how individuals use available habitat. This thermal constraint is central to interpreting habitat use and population responses in alpine environments.
Haypiles function as a seasonal food reserve rather than merely a collection of plant material. During the growing season, pikas gather grasses, wildflowers, and other vegetation and arrange it for later consumption. Because they do not hibernate, this stored resource helps sustain them through winter and links summer plant availability to cold-season survival.
The American pika’s strong association with rocky talus makes habitat structure important when biologists interpret its distribution. Populations can therefore provide a species-centered way to examine whether alpine environments remain connected or become fragmented. This perspective connects an individual animal’s habitat requirements with broader questions about landscape organization in western North American mountain systems.
Monitoring American pika populations can help biologists evaluate environmental conditions in high-elevation ecosystems. The species’ restricted activity during warm conditions provides a biologically relevant connection between temperature-related conditions and observed population patterns. Used alongside knowledge of alpine habitat and seasonal food storage, population studies can contribute to broader assessments of how mountain ecosystems respond to climate change.
As a herbivore, the American pika gathers and consumes grasses, wildflowers, and other vegetation, placing it within the flow of plant material through alpine communities. Observing what it collects and stores can help biologists connect seasonal vegetation availability with animal activity. That relationship supports research into mountain ecosystem dynamics rather than treating the pika as an isolated species.
Useful observations include where populations occur, the alpine or rocky talus settings they occupy, their activity under warm conditions, and the vegetation they gather into haypiles. Together, these observations connect distribution, thermal constraints, and seasonal resources. They can support investigations of habitat fragmentation, climate-change responses, and environmental conditions in high-elevation ecosystems.