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When it comes to global warming in the lower 48 states, the American pika is the canary in the coal mine. This adorable rabbit relative, which lives near mountain peaks in the American West, cannot tolerate exposure to warming temperatures from climate change. As temperatures rise, pikas at lower elevations are rapidly disappearing. Already, more than a third of studied pika populations in the Great Basin mountains of Nevada and Oregon have gone extinct, and lower-elevation pika populations have disappeared from portions of California’s Sierra Nevada mountains.

Fortunately, there’s still time left to protect pikas and their mountain homes — but only if we act quickly. In response to the Center for Biological Diversity’s scientific petition, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is conducting a review to determine whether the American pika should be protected under the Endangered Species Act. The public has until July 6 to subit comments. This is the first important step toward listing the pika under the Act in order to protect the species and its alpine habitat from climate change.

Rapidly reducing global greenhouse gas pollution to safe levels is critical to preventing the extinction of the pika. Please, write today to support protection for the pika and to urge the government to reduce greenhouse gas pollution to levels that will protect pikas and other wildlife species from extinction.

Click here to find out more and take action.

If you have trouble following the link, go to http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/2167/t/5243/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=27538.

Sample letter:

Subject: Please Protect the American Pika Under the ESA

Dear Mr. Gould,

I strongly support the listing of the American pika under the Endangered Species Act to protect it from the threat of global warming. The scientific evidence clearly shows that the pika is threatened with extinction from climate change, including rising temperatures, increasing heat waves, and loss of mountain snowpack.

Rising temperatures caused by greenhouse gas pollution have already been linked to dramatic losses of lower-elevation pika populations in the western United States. Global warming will virtually eliminate suitable habitat for the pika in the American West in this century if greenhouse gas emissions are not drastically reduced.

I urge you to propose the listing of the American pika under the Endangered Species Act as soon as possible.

Please take action by July 6, 2009.

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American pika photo © John J. Mosesso.