Little Pika with a Big Belly
Kristi Odom
A little russet potato sized relative of the rabbit, the American Pika, has become a very important indicator species of climate change. These little animals live at high altitudes with bodies that have trouble thermoregulating and need the snow pack to protect them from mountain winters. The disappearance of Pikas has been linked by scientists to the rising heat from climate change. Hundreds of volunteers head to higher elevations in the Front Range of Colorado to count small mountain dwelling mammals. They call themselves the Pika Patrol.
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