A mammal that can't handle warm weather could become the first animal in the continental US to get Endangered Species Act protection because of climate change.
The US Fish and Wildlife Service said on Wednesday that listing the American pika may be warranted because of climate change. Federal officials will now launch an in-depth review of the species and submit findings by February 1, 2010.
The pika - a furry, big-eared relative of the rabbit - dwells mostly in high, rocky mountain slopes in 10 Western states. Even brief exposure to temperatures of 25 degree Celsius or warmer can be deadly to the animal.
As the West warms, scientists say some pikas have tried to move upslope to find cooler refuges but have run out of room.
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