Science
Related: About this forumResearchers recently photographed this extremely cute mammal for the first time in 20 years
Say hello to the Ili pika:
This furry ball of cuteness is an endangered mammal closely related to rabbits and hares. The species was first discovered in 1983 and individuals have rarely been seen since.
It was first spotted in the Tian Shan Mountains in China, where it makes the holes and cracks of the cliffs its home. Despite other family of pika living across the Northern Hemisphere, these mountains are the only place this Ewok lookalike seems to feel at home.
Although scientists know where to find the Ili pika, it's still extremely hard to get on camera. For example, between 2002 and 2003 two researchers, Andrew Smith at Arizona State University and Li Wei-Dong at the Xinjiang Academy of Environmental Protection in Beijing, completed seven trips to twelve different sites to study population status of the animal. After 37 total days of attempted spottings, the two men came up completely empty handed.
more
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/researchers-just-recently-photographed-extremely-220837263.html
Squee!
CaliforniaPeggy
(149,620 posts)I am hoping that being as invisible as it is, that this will help protect it.
Wonderful pictures!
JustAnotherGen
(31,823 posts)Warpy
(111,261 posts)They're almost like phantom animals, they pop up and then disappear quickly so you're not sure you just saw something. They are short eared bunny rabbits who not only forage during the warm parts of the year, they put away silage for the winter.
The tops of the high peaks here have small groups of pika but it's likely starting to get too warm for them. They are cold weather critters who stay in their burrows when it's over 80F. Their ranges throughout the west are declining.
It's too bad, they're wonderful critters and one of those "unimportant" species that tend to support the rest of the ecosystem by scattering seeds and becoming prey.
840high
(17,196 posts)femmocrat
(28,394 posts)(Kidding!) I would even like a toy (plush) one. That is the cutest little critter ever!