Free Republic

You could call it one of the world's longest games of hide and seek. For more than 20 years, the Ili pika (Ochotona iliensis), a type of tiny, mountain-dwelling mammal with a teddy bear face, had eluded scientists in the Tianshan Mountains (map) of northwestern China.

State wildlife officials are seeking public comments on the status of the American pika in California. This tiny member of the rabbit family, a high-mountain resident, is thought to be threatened by climate change. . . . Comments must be submitted by March 15 to Department of Fish and Game, Nongame Wildlife Program, Attn: Scott Osborn, 1812 Ninth St., Sacramento, CA 95811; or by email to pika@dfg.ca.gov.

A couple of weeks ago, I came home to a distressed message on my answering machine. The voice on the other end exclaimed, “Kim! Where are the white-tailed ptarmigan?!” The distraught messenger is a friend of mine, someone who I consider one of the most knowledgeable and active birders in the Eagle Valley area. She went on to say that during her alpine hikes this summer she's seen plenty of pika but she hasn't seen a single ptarmigan and she wanted me to join her on a mission to find some.

Department of Fish and Game biologists are recommending that the state deny endangered species status for the mountain-dwelling America pika, a relative of the rabbit. Reachers have found shrinking pika populations throughout the mountains of Nevada and Utah. They say global warming is the main cause. But Department of Fish and Game biologists say they found inadequate evidence that pika numbers are dropping in California. They're recommending that the Fish and Game Commission reject a petition filed by the Center for Biological Diversity asking for endangered species status for the pika. The pika, or rock-rabbit, is adapted to colder temperatures...