Distribution of low-elevation American pika populations in the Northern Great Basin

Abstract

The recent discovery that a portion of the historically described populations of American pikas Ochotona princeps in the Great Basin of North America appear to be extinct added emphasis to earlier warnings that these populations may be highly vulnerable, in particular those occurring at low elevations (<2,500 m). Pikas in the Great Basin have received increased scientific interest; however, there is still little known about the distribution or number of populations throughout their range. Here we report on the discovery of several previously undescribed low-elevation pika populations in Southeast Oregon and Northwest Nevada. The average elevation of sites currently occupied by pikas was 1,993 m (range = 1,648-2,357 m). This and other recent discoveries suggest that pikas may be more common at low elevations in portions of the northern Great Basin than previously suspected (i.e.,>2,500 m).