Northern Pika

Remember Ussuri Brown Bear lives in Hokkaido? Guess who else does? Yeppers: the Northern Pika. Actually, the Northern Pika lives in many places, from Japan all the way to the Ural Mountains. They may kind of look like mice, but they are more closely related to rabbits. You know you’re looking at a Pika because it doesn’t have a tail.

You know you ARE a Pika if you live in a rock pile, communicate with other Pikas with high-pitched whistles, and you love eating all manner of plants. You are also nocturnal or crepuscular, have rounded ears and store food for the winter. Speaking of storing food for winter, if you do run out, then you eat your own poop because it’s high in digestible energy. Kinda gross, Pika, but way to keep it real.

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Belgian Hare

The Belgian Hare is not a hare. The Belgian Hare is a rabbit. Let’s compare the two…

Hares are usually bigger and faster, have longer feet and ears, have very strong back legs, and are great runners. They are loners living in simple nests above ground only coming together to “party,” after which they enjoy a lovely meal of hard bark or small twigs. If all goes well in the aforementioned party-time, their young is called a leveret. They are fancy.

Rabbits have been domesticated and can make great pets. All breeds of rabbit (except for the cottontail) live underground in burrows, which makes it easier to be social when everyone walking/slithering/stalking above you wants to eat you or do experiments on you and your whole family. Both rabbits and hares are “party-animals.” They breed a lot. A LOT. A young rabbit is called a bunny or a kitten. 

Back to the lady above: the Belgian Hare has rich chestnut fur with large, alert eyes. Like most normal humans, these rabbits enjoy the weather, climate, and temperament of sunny Southern California. They are very graceful and always on the go, prancing and leaping like they are starring in their own personal animal ballet. Perhaps something like, Rabbit Lake or The Carrotcracker or Bunny Quixote or The Rite of Rabbit.

I was going to put a “hop to it” joke here, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. You are welcome.