As West warms, some fear for tiny mountain dweller

The American pika — a short-legged, hamster-sized fur ball that huddles in high mountain slopes — isn't built for long-distance travel.

So as the West's climate warms, the tiny pika has little choice but to scurry a little farther upslope to beat the heat.

Problem is, in some places, they've run out of room to run, according to scientists. Without cool rocky refuges, the finicky pika can't survive.

This undated photo released by the U.S. Geological Survey, shows a mountain-dwelling American pika.

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