American Pika

These are ridiculously cute… they look like something in between a mouse and a bunny and sound like a squeaky toy. They are also in danger because of climate change - even short exposures to temperatures over 78F can kill them. They can hide in the talus during brief hot spells, but they don't burrow and need to gather food for the winter (they don't hibernate), so as the temperature rises, so must the pika. They will migrate up the mountains if they can, but if they reach the top and it's still too warm, they've no where else to go. Now this isn't exactly new, it has been happening gradually for around 12,000 years, so I don't think the pika will become extinct any time soon, but it's habitat loss has been picking up a lot of speed in the most recent 100 of those years and there is enough concern that the US is considering protecting them under the endangered species act.