Behaviour: Less unessential activities were undertaken on the surface as the requirements are higher for thermoregulation activities (maintaining a steady body temperature)[8].  The less activities on the surface will also reduce exposure to predators.[9]

Hoarding: This was not witnessed within the video footage but it is possible that they partake in this behaviour but at later times than recorded as high altitude animals have been found to have a different circadian rhythm.[10]  Although, major findings showed that the snowfall was directly proportional to the deaths of the plateau pika.[11] If they hoarded food they would have resources underground so would not be affected by this.  

Yak faeces consumption: The plateau pika was observed eating yak faeces in the summer.  There are numerous possible reasons for this. Firstly, the vegetation might be so degraded in this area that they require the faeces as a resource.  Secondly, both adult and young were observed eating faeces near the burrow.  The collared pika concentrates their forage near their burrow for fear of predators so may have been consumed as it was close to the burrow.[12] Thirdly, the adult may be teaching the young in the summer for knowledge of this resource into the winter season.

Carbon/Nitrogen analysis: Carbon values were found to be more consistent with the diet than nitrogen values. The isotopic values of the plateau pika overlapped both grass and January yak faeces.  This means that the yak faeces could be part of the diet.  The carbon values in both January and June showed that the pika depended mainly of C3 plants.  All previously researched plants on the Tibetan plateau were found to be C3 plants, these included grasses and plantain. [13]

Photograph analysis:  Previous studies showed that the plateau pika consumed Elymus nutans, Oxytropis and Poa but disliked Kobresia (a sedge-like plant).[14]  This follows findings in this study, as Elymus nutans and Poa are types of grass.  The grass was found to decrease in pika territory and as the number of burrows increased.  The sedge-like species (B), possibly Kobresia humilis, increased as the number of burrows increased.

Possible behavioural adaptations: As the plateau pika appears not to hoard food and consume similar food in summer and winter they must adopt different strategies to survive the extreme cold.  A possible behavioural adaptations used by red squirrels is to inhabit burrows in times of cold and only feed on the surface at warmest times of the day.[15]

Physiological adaptations:  Have been found to play a key role.  The plateau pika depends on increasing thermogenic capacities such as brown adipose tissue mass (BAT), non-shivering thermogenesis (NST) and cytochrome C oxidase (COX).  The mitochondria is loosely couple to the oxidative phosphorylation causing the generation of more heat at the expense of lower amounts of ATP production.[16,17]  The digestive system has also been shown to change to improve digestive effectiveness.  The gut, the caecum, the large intestine and small intestine all increase in size.[18]

Future studies:  To further test if the plateau pika consumes yak faeces in the winter a method was created in which to test for yak DNA within the pika stomach content. If yak DNA is found in the pika stomach content then it is certain that the pika has eaten yak faeces. Though if yak DNA is not found within the stomach it is not a certainty that the pika has not eaten yak faeces as the stomach may have broken down the DNA.