Climate Change Threatens Pika, A Tiny US Mammal

SALT LAKE CITY — A tiny mammal that can't handle warm weather could become the first animal in the lower 48 states to get Endangered Species Act protection primarily because of climate change.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said Wednesday that listing the American pika may be warranted because of climate change. Federal officials will now launch an in-depth review of the species and submit findings by Feb. 1, 2010.

The pika _ a furry, big-eared relative of the rabbit _ dwells mostly in high, rocky mountain slopes in 10 Western states. Even brief exposure to temperatures of 78 degrees or warmer can be deadly to the animal.

As the West warms, scientists say some pikas have tried to move upslope to find cooler refuges but have run out of room.

Comments

[Richard2]

The current range of the Pika extends into Canada and Alaska. The Rocky Mountains also extend into Canada, and connect with Alaska. Is the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service predicting that Pikas will become extinct in the continental U.S., or in all of North America. Seem to recall there are some cold mountains in Canada, the Canadian Rockies, and Alaska has Mount McKinley, the tallest mountain in North America.

Has anyone asked the Canadians what they think of this story?

[realpolitic]

Yes, I have asked several Canadians, including several Inuits, what they think of the story and they find it very interesting and timely! They are uniformly very concerned that the Pikas are running out of room in the pursuit of colder temperatures because of climate change. What do the Siberians think?

[burtmckinly]

Can't we just genetically modify a superior variety that isn't as affected by abnormal temperature fluctuations? They could made even cuter too!

[realpolitic]

Can't we genetically engineer a human being that actually thinks? Answer me, conservatives!

[burtmckinly]

So now animals get protected from extinction because humans find them to be "cute"?

[realpolitic]

No, if so, you would be on the Endangered Species List because your post is as cute as something a two-year old would say and just as silly!

[fallout4U]

Shocker: Al Gore Stands To Profit Big Time From Cap And Trade Legislation

[gallimaufry03]

"Cap and Trade Legislation" ... is that a new species of large-eared bunny?

[jsgaetano]

I doubt he will reap in anything like Bush/Cheney's share of the $17 Billion which KBR defrauded the US government out of in Iraq.

But hey, they are "fiscal conservatives", so it's fine! Stay the Course!

[cjt1957]

So where is your sourse that they made money from Lady Bird Johnson's company? LBJ's widow was the largest stock owner of KBR until her death, so I guess it was the Dems that made the money....

[realpolitic]

Great point!

[realpolitic]

You mean Al Gore gets a bounty for each dead Pika?

[newshawk14]

Having hiked much of the Sierras and Cascades, it would be sad to see these little animals
disappear. The article is incorrect in referring to them as big eared. They actually look like a
cross between a small rabbit and a mouse.

[elmerfude]

I often saw them in the Strawberry Mountains of Oregon. They have prominent ears for their size but I wouldn't call them big eared either. They do rely a lot on calls and sound for communication.

[newshawk14]

Great post, I was under the impression that they were rather solitary animals,
and was unaware of their social interactions. Hopefully, they can be saved.

[tjoy]

They look like Pikachu's alter-ego. Maybe if they had a reality show based on Pokemon with the Pika as the main protagonist, the animal may survive. I guess when it comes to battling the climate, the Pika can't win...for now. On the next episode of the "Poke-World," will polar bears be able to survive against the climate?

[tjoy]

Save the Pikas! They're too cute.

[StopGlobalWarmingBeVegan]

I'll save you Pika, let me convince my fellow humans to go veg to combat global warming.

[gallimaufry03]

Okay, I'm ignorant. How does being a vegetarian combat global warming? (Not trying to offend; just asking.)

[DaveC19]

It takes a huge amount of energy and water to produce meat. Gasses from cow farts also produce a huge amount of green house gasses.

I am not a vegan however.

[dengal]

Its always a treat to get to tree line elevation and see one of these amazing little guys
I hope they survive

[DCDemInsider]

NO,NO, NO, NO, NO,NO, NO, NO, NO,NO, NO, NO, NO,NO, NO, NO, NO,NO, NO, NO, NO,NO, NO, NO, NO,NO, NO, NO, NO,NO, NO, NO, NO,NO, NO, NO, NO,NO, NO, NO, NO,NO, NO, NO, NO,NO, NO, NO,NO,NO, NO, NO, NO,NO, NO, NO, NO,NO, NO, NO, NO,NO, NO, NO, NO,NO, NO, NO, NO,NO, NO, NO,NO,NO, NO, NO, NO,NO, NO, NO, NO,NO, NO, NO, NO,NO, NO, NO, NO,NO, NO, NO, NO,NO, NO,

NO!

I LOVE PIKAS!

THEY CAN ALL COME LIVE WITH ME

ILL TREAT EM GOOOD!

[gallimaufry03]

Convert your house to a refrigerator and make it a tourist destination to recoup the cost of carrots.

[Feanor]

I like pikas. I named one of my dogs Pika.

[DCDemInsider]

nice

[elmerfude]

Pikas are interesting little animals. They live in rock piles in the high mountains usually near a lake. They harvest grass and make hay piles to see themselves through the winter. They are also social animals that stand guard for each other and let out warning calls when there is danger--sort of like Al Gore talking about climate change.

[VikingQuest]

That's too bad, we should learn from our past mistakes of CO2 emissions when our SUVs killed off the dinosaurs.

[gladiator777]

Wow, an animal going extinct, thats never happened before!I wonder how the dinosaurs and earth survived the insanely high CO2 levels for 10's of millions of years, you'd think that earth would have been annihilated by that point right? Nope, earth was fine, CO2 average for the past 600m years was around 1000ppm. 380ppm is a pittance guys, stop being so silly and dramatic, the earth will be fine. The pollution we should be worried about is the ones in our rivers and oceans. Pumping out a little CO2 is nothing.

[rf-hawaii]

Plenty of other pollution in the air to worry about too.

[StringOfLights]

Dude... No. During the Cretaceous CO2 levels were higher than today and levels rose towards the end of the period, but O2 levels were much higher as well. And the levels changed gradually over hundreds of thousands to millions of years. The PETM, when temps were significantly warmer than today, also coincides with an extinction that is likely due to rapid global warming. By rapid global warming I mean 20,000 years. Now we're talking about global warming on a scale of decades to centuries.

And I don't think people are worried about Earth, I think we're more worried about most of the stuff that lives on it - including us.

[gallimaufry03]

If all we were doing was pumping out "a little" CO2 I think people would agree with you.

[TequilaMockingbird]

Uh.. The Dinosaurs didn't survive.. and yes.. but you miss the point.. We should be worried about it all.. denying the fact that we are changing the climate isn't going to change the effects of a Changing Climate.. Micro Economies in Micro Climates change/fail and that sets off chains of events that are frightening to predict..

Water... It's the New Oil..

[whiteconch]

Pikas rule the Rocky Mountains,­...They''l­l be one of the first barometers for the climate shifts going on,...

[AngieMom57]

They are too cute!