American Pikas (Ochotona princeps) in Northwestern Nevada: A Newly Discovered Population at a Low-elevation Site

Distribution and Climatic Relationships of the American Pika (Ochotona princeps) in the Sierra Nevada and Western Great Basin, U.S.A.; Periglacial Landforms as Refugia in Warming Climates. Comment

“…Documentation of a species occupying its historic range and extending beyond historic limits is commonly used as an indication of a healthy, thriving wildlife species, for example, for pikas (Beever, 2002;Ray and Beever, 2007;Beever et al, 2008;Simpson, 2009), related pygmy rabbits (Himes and Drohan, 2007;Larrucea and Brussard, 2008b), and more generally (e.g., Link et al, 1994). Our conclusion of pikas' population viability in our region parallels these interpretations.…”

“…Visual and aural observations were agreed to be the most certain sign of pika presence, although even in occupied habitat and at appropriate times of the day pikas are often not active on the talus surface or vocalizing. Green vegetation in haypiles, in association with other indirect sign (pellets, urine posts), was widely trusted to indicate active use, given that Neotoma is ruled out as having taken over pika haypiles, and recognizing that in many locations haypiles are not found at all (Beever et al, 2008;Ray and Beever, 2007; participants at CPC meeting). Early in the summer before haying has begun (mid-to late August in the SN and swGB) there is no or little green vegetation in haypiles and age of indirect sign relies on interpretation of vegetation in haypiles and assessing age of pellets and urine.…”

“…We adopted this from the literature to exceed the largest nearest-neighbor distance and home-range diameter for pikas (Smith and Weston, 1990, p. 78;Beever et al, 2008). We subsequently grouped sites into demes, again using the literature-based estimate for maximum dispersal of individual animals (3 km; Smith and Weston, 1990), and grouped demes into geographic regions and these into mountain ranges.…”

The impact of climate change on patterns of zoogeomorphological influence: Examples from the Rocky Mountains of the Western U.S.A.

“…Climate warming in GNP and across the American west where pika reside will have widespread negative impacts on the impacts of pikas on the landscape, as the animals are forced to shift upslope and to ice-rich habitats, such as rock glaciers, to survive (Beever et al, 2008;Millar and Westfall, 2010). The zoogeomorphic impacts of burrowing associated with pikas will also, therefore, shift locations and possibly intensities.…”

American Pikas' (Ochotona princeps) Foraging Response to Hikers and Sensitivity to Heat in an Alpine Environment

“…Their habitat mainly consists of rocky boulder fields (talus slopes) in subalpine and alpine zones, although there are populations that persist at lower elevations (Beever et al, 2008;Simpson, 2009). Boulder fields provide protection from predators and serve as a refuge from warmer daytime temperatures (Smith, 1974;Holmes, 1991).…”