Earth Equity News

American Pika Endangered by Climate Change. By Jeff Brady, NPR, August 8, 2009. "The American pika could become the first animal in the continental U.S. listed under the Endangered Species Act because of climate change. The cute relative of the rabbit lives in the mountain West, and researchers say warmer temperatures put it at risk for extinction. If the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service decides to list the pika, that could prompt new restrictions on the activities that create greenhouse gases. Pikas, which look like 6-inch potatoes with round mouse ears, live in rocky areas high up in the mountains. They're viciously territorial, and once they lay claim to a home, they hate to move. So, while other species have responded to climate change by migrating upslope, pikas are dying off... Warmer temperatures have reduced the snowpack in the mountains, and pikas rely on snow for shelter from cold wind."