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PIKAS: OCHOTONA PRINCEPS
http://www.nhptv.org/natureworks/americanpika.htm
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Videos first
http://www.arkive.org/american-pika/ochotona-princeps/video-00.html
http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/news/animals-news/pika-in-peril-missions-wcvin.html
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Range
The American pika can be found in western North America from central British Columbia in Canada to Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Nevada, California and New Mexico.
where it has a widespread but discontinuous distribution
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A widespread, discontinuous habitat
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Habitat
Isolated rocky alpine regions called talus formations
Elevation in the north: sea level to 3,000 meters
Elevation in the south: above 2500 meters
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Niche: primary consumer
Predators: eagles, hawks, coyotes, bobcats, foxes, and weasels
Eats a variety of green plants like grasses, sedges, thistles and fireweed.
It will eat some food on the spot and it will carry some food away and store in a pile or "haystack."
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Niche
Predator Alert System for other animals: Between mowing the
grass and herbs Barking at predators
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Haying
http://raysweb.net/wildlife/images/pika_new.jpg
http://www.animalspot.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Picture-of-American-Pika.jpg
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Haystack Photos
http://wwwdelivery.superstock.com/WI/223/1990/PreviewComp/SuperStock_1990-18500.jpg
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Another Haystack
http://www.nps.gov/features/yell/slidefile/mammals/pika/Images/01645.jpg
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Population Size
?????? Really—after looking hard, I couldn’t find a
single site with an actual number. A study conducted between 1994 and 1999
found that 7 of 25 monitored American pika populations had become extinct, partially due to climate change
More studies are being done
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Status
The American pika is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List
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Status In view of its decreasing populations, six
subspecies of the American pika are categorized by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as ‘Species of Concern’, meaning it is important that their populations are monitored
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Status?
Was considered as a potential addition to the endangered species list
Obama administration rejected it: not enough evidence of population loss
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Size
Length: 6.2 – 8.5 inches and Weight: 4 – 6.3
http://media-3.web.britannica.com/eb-media/16/3516-004-67E3395A.jpg
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Adaptations
The pika is a very vocal animal Warns of predator intruders Males sing during mating season
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Adaptations
Emerging from den in winter.Dense fur for surviving winter
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Threats
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5KcjBHOyF0
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Threats: Climate Change may be one of the first mammals
impacted appears to have contributed to local
extinctions of pika populations 'canary in the coal mine' when it comes
to the response of alpine and mountain systems to global warming.
From the World Wildlife Fund
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Threats: Climate Change
Mountaintop habitat means they cannot move further up the mountain (no refuge)
Cannot migrate across valleys to a taller mountain (too risky and too hot and too far).
Other animals are moving into their habitat
Climate may be interacting with other factors such as proximity to roads and smaller habitat area to increase extinction risk for pikas, creating detrimental synergistic effects.
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Nest just a bit underground
Young in the nest
Video Link: http://www.arkive.org/american-pika/ochotona-princeps/video-09.html
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A nest is shallower than a burrow.
Entering nest
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Threats continued
Pikas do not inhabit burrows which could mitigate extreme temperatures and are highly active aboveground during the hottest months of the year.
In the Spring and Summer, they hay. If plants mature faster, they cannot hay fast
enough to store enough for winter. Dense fur may cause them to overheat.
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Threat
Freezing in the winter due to less snow pack
Snow acts as insulation.
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Other Threats: Habitat Loss
Domestic and feral cattle American pika populations
are smaller where cattle graze.
Non-native plant species are also spreading across the American pika’s habitat
Wildfires Reduces food availability
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Related to a rabbit!
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Conservation
The American pika is afforded protection in a number of reserves
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Conservation Priorities
developing management plans for its populations, with further research into its population numbers, trends and range, as well as its habitat status and threats, and the identification of new protected areas
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Law
it is illegal to hunt this species throughout its range
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Technology
Suitability modeling: Geographic Information System
Help to predict when and where pika populations will decline
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Summary
http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/climate-weather/videos/assignment-earth-pikas-and-climate-change
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Question How come many scientists say that Pikas
are like the 'canary in the coal mine' when it comes to the response of alpine and mountain systems to climate change?