The collared pika (Ochotona collaris) is a species of mammal in the pika family, Ochotonidae, and part of the order Lagomorpha, which comprises rabbits, hares, and pikas. It is a small (about 160 g) alpine lagomorph that lives in boulder fields of central and southern Alaska (U.S.), and in parts of Canada, including northern British Columbia, Yukon, and western parts of the Northwest Territories. It is closely related to the American pika (O. princeps), but it is a monotypic form containing no recognized subspecies. It is asocial, does not hibernate, and spends a large part of its time in the summer collecting vegetation that is stored under rocks ("haypiles") as a supply of food for the winter. Some individuals have been observed collecting and consuming dead birds as sources of fat and protein. Thousands of trips are made during July and August to collect vegetation for winter. Description Appearance The appearance of collared pikas is similar to other members of the genus Ochotona. On the dorsal side of their bodies, they have dull grayish fur with gray patches on their shoulders and nape creating a distinguishable collar, while on the ventral side they have an opaque white-colored fur. Their winter pelts are similar to O. princeps, but during the other seasons, O. collaris''' fur is a darker gray and is less thick than in the winter; consequently, they only have one annual molt. During the summer, young that resemble the size of an adult are fully gray, while actual adults have brown stains around their heads or necks. Some features that are helpful in identifying O. collaris from O. princeps are the creamy-colored fur over the facial gland, which is brown in O. princeps; and in addition, the skull size of O. collaris is broader with a shorter nasal area, a greater tympanic bullae, and different teeth morphology than those of O. princeps. Characteristics They are petite in size with longer hind limbs than their fore limbs, with their hind limbs being about 2.9 to 3.1 cm. They have five digits on each front foot and only four on each hind foot. The soles of their feet are covered with long fur, while still exposing their digital pads on the soles of their feet and their curved claws. They range between 130 and 200 g in body mass and 17.8 to 19.8 cm in length. For both male and females,