SHIKAOI, Hokkaido -- Northern pika, a species that is said to have survived the ice age and whose domestic cohort inhabits in limited alpine areas in Hokkaido, are preparing for winter in the northernmost Japanese prefecture.

In a rocky area near Lake Shikaribetsu in the town of Shikaoi, part of the Tokachi region, occasional squeaks of northern pika were recently heard. The animal is around 15 centimeters long and has short ears, despite being a member of the rabbit family. When the sun shone on the area, the animals popped out on the rocks and were seen feeding themselves.

Northern pika are active around this time of year, gathering plant leaves and other stuff for subsistence and stocking up on preserves between the rocks to survive through the winter.

(Japanese original by Taichi Kaizuka, Hokkaido Photo and Video Department)