Mountain Rabbit?

Rabbits sometimes are being put into the category of rodents, and most of us rabbit breeders are not happy about it.

When this picture of a "Pika" appeared in a Red Bluff/Redding area newspaper, it's hard to argue that the "mountain rabbit" is not a close relative of a rat! The only difference between this mountain rabbit and a rat seems to be the tail and that this mountain rabbit seems to be a little more rounded that a regular rat. Upon more research, Pika is in a family within the order of lagomorphs that also includes rabbit and hare.

It is also interesting to learn that the Japanese Pokemon character Pikachu is somewhat based on the like of a Pika.