Pika an Endangered Species?

Getting title deja vu?  While the petition to list the whitebark pine tree as endangered (see earlier post) still hangs in limbo, another climate affected species is closer to a final decision.  On October 1, 2007, the Center for Biological Diversity submitted a petition to list the pika as endangered or threatened.  On May 7, 2009, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service issued a "90-day finding" that found substantial scientific reasons to further investigate listing the American pika as endangered.  In the next step, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service will issue a 12-month finding that recommends whether action should be taken to list the pika as threatened or endangered or not. 
Both the original petition and the report issued by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service are remarkably informative, including species information and threat factors affecting the species.  The primary threat is global climate change.  Pika live at high elevation and, as climate changes, these habitats may experience a change in ecology, snowpack, and seasonal temperatures.  For many pika populations, the only option would be to move to higher elevations, yet the talus fields, specific vegetation needs, and required space may simply not exist at higher elevations. If this listing does go through, the pika will be the first mammal in the lower 48 states to be listed with "climate change" as the primary threat.
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Report:  90-Day Finding on a Petition to List the American Pika as Threatened or Endangered with Critical Habitat.  If you'd like to download a pdf of the report, link here.
Petition to List the Pika:  Go to this link to find information on the pika, and a link to the original Center for Biological Diversity petition to list the species.  This petition is a powerhouse of information on the pika, and certainly recommended browsing, including a phenomenal reference list.