2016-3-1 UPDATE

Pika

A mysterious living fossil surviving in the woods

Non-hibernating northern pikas gather wild rosemary leaves to store along with caecum feces in order to supplement nutritional deficiency in winter. Wild rosemary contains a volatile substance similar to camphor that prevents mold from developing on the feces. Many plants in cold areas have toxic constituents in order that they may survive in a harsh natural environment. Pikas take advantage of one such example. [5’11″/Subtitles: Japanese, English]