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News Release 13-204
Mountain pikas, relatives of rabbits, survive at warm sea-level temperatures by eating mosses
Mosses also may protect high-peak pikas against climate change effects
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A small mammal known as a pika peers out from behind thick moss in Oregon's Columbia River Gorge.
Credit: Jo Varner
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Researchers discovered that high-elevation pikas survive at sea-level by eating moss.
Credit: Mallory Lambert
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A pika sits among rocks and moss; on high peaks, pikas are threatened by global warming.
Credit: Jo Varner
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Biologist Jo Varner collects vegetation from the "haypiles" pikas build under rockpiles in winter.
Credit: Erin Moulding
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Jo Varner and Denise Dearing found that pikas may be able to adapt to climate change.
Credit: University of Utah
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