P ORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Lovers of squeaky potato-sized rodents can rejoice this season, as new data is showing the population of pikas is on the rise in the Columbia River Gorge.

Sneaky-cool microclimates are one ingredient in Gorge pika success, but another is the moss itself, Varner added. “They appear to be eating a lot of moss right out of the talus,” she said.

The American pika — a small, herbivorous, conspicuously cute mammal related to rabbits and hares — is adapted to the cold climate in high-elevation boulder fields and alpine meadows in the mountains ...

Once at a survey site, pika watchers scan boulders for signs of movement while listening for the pika’s signature squeaks. Volunteers can attend training sessions on May 8 or 9 at the Oregon Zoo ...

Pikas are pint-size, rodent-like mammals that look like a cross between a guinea pig and a rabbit. Of the 29 species worldwide, the American pika, ...

Where it lives: Mountains of central Siberia What it eats: Plants and vegetation, including nettles You may like Plains viscacha: A rodent that builds vast underground cities and ovulates more ...