The North American pika is a thermally sensitive, cold-adapted specialist species found in the mountains of western North America. In the southern extent of their range they are usually found above 2500 m. Pika are very sensitive to high temperatures and will die if exposed to temperatures above 25.5 C for even a few hours. Their strategies for avoiding thermal stress are largely behavioral and they seek out cool microclimates to avoid high temperatures. A survey in 2014-2015 found widespread evidence of a decrease in range, shifting to higher altitude, and local extinction. Explain why climate warming threatens pika populations and why biologists are worried for their future: