Pika and Climate Change
Pika and Climate Change, The American Pika is a hearty little animal, related to the rabbit family, but about the size of a large hamster. They live among some of the most stunning scenery in North America - typically in rocky areas above 8,000 feet. Like polar bears, pikas have gained attention as early indicators of the effects of climate change on wildlife.
In the case of pikas, it is not sea ice that they require, but mountain peaks that are cool in the summer and have a blanket of snow in winter, both of which are being altered by climate change. These images show citizens scientists, under the direction of the Seventh Generation Institute, monitoring the impacts of climate change on pika populations in New Mexico's Pecos Wilderness.
The information collected will be used by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, and other managers to evaluate the range wide status of pika, and to make informed environmental management decisions related to climate change issues.