02/04/10

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) _ The government is expected to decide
whether a tiny, mountain-dwelling mammal should become the first
animal in the continental United States to get federal protections
primarily because of climate change.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's decision about the future
of the American pika is expected Friday. If the pikas become
protected under the Endangered Species Act, some legal experts
predict it could have ramifications for future climate policies.

The pika _ a furry, big-eared relative of the rabbit _ lives
mostly in high, rocky mountain slopes in 10 Western states.

Pikas are well-suited for alpine conditions but, as temperatures
warm, they're forced to move up-slope. In some places, though,
scientists say the pika has run out of room to run and populations
have disappeared.

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