![]() Scientists say the animal's decline may signal problems for other species, from butterflies and birds to large mammals. In the Great Basin-the arid region between the Rocky Mountains and California's Sierra Nevada-pikas already are disappearing. Trapped at the top, alpine wildlife is vulnerable to several of climate change's damaging effects, including vegetation changes, the invasion of new predators and pests, reduced winter snowpack, and increases in extreme weather events. Unlike other mountain species that can move to higher altitudes in warming climates, pikas live so high on the mountain that there is no where for them to go. It produces litters of three or four young. It is particularly active early in the morning and again at nightfall and feeds on various types of plant material. The pika has adapted to life in areas that rarely get above freezing and can overheat and die when exposed to temperatures as mild as 78 degrees Fahrenheit. The Himalayan pika is a small mammal about 17 cm (6.7 in) long and very similar in appearance to Royle's pika. The Pallass cat is notoriously elusive and spends much of its time hiding in caves, crevices, or abandoned burrows. Pikas live in high mountain ecosystems that are cool and moist. ![]() ![]() Without protection and help, American pikas could be the first species to go extinct due to climate change. 5 Wild Facts About The American Pika, The Cutest Endangered Species 1. Despite their dire situation, the American pika is not federally listed under in the Endangered Species Act. Pikas have already disappeared from more than one-third of their previously known habitat in Oregon and Nevada. American pikas are suffering because climate change has brought higher temperatures to their western mountain homes. But today the American pika has good grounds to compete with the polar bear for this unwanted honor. Media outlets have referred to Kyary as a 'Fashion Monster', and she has been photographed for magazines such as Dazed & Confused. For years the polar bear has been the symbol of the climate change movement. Though most of her success as a recording artist has been in Asia, she has also gained popularity in Western countries due in part to Internet videos which have gone viral.
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