The American pika, a high-elevation species that lives on talus slopes in Grand Teton National Park, could receive protection under the Endangered Species Act, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officials announced Wednesday.

Conservation groups think the heat-sensitive pika might be on the decline because of warmer temperatures associated with climate change. Other likely threats include livestock practices, fire suppression, invasive species, roads and off-highway vehicles, according to the Fish and Wildlife Service. Pikas, which are related to hares and rabbits, can die if exposed to temperatures greater than 77.9 degrees, officials say.

The agency is conducting a review of the species during which scientists will compile data about the animal’s characteristics such as distribution, population size, genetics and ecology.

The Center for Biological Diversity recently threatened to sue Fish and Wildlife for failing to respond to a petition to list the species.

Franz Camenzind, executive director of the Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance, said he was pleased pikas will be reviewed.

“I think the pika has become the canary in the talus slope, so to speak,” he said. “It is an indicator of what is happening at our latitude and our altitude.”

If the species is listed, it likely will have a limited impact on activities locally, given the pika’s penchant for high-altitude habitat, Camenzind said.

“It could perhaps be a factor in expanding certain recreational activities [such as] ski areas,” he said. “I don’t think there’s a lot of mineral extraction or timber harvesting going on in those habitats in this region.”

Given the complex and disbursed nature of climate change, Camenzind said, it could be difficult to enact specific conservation steps to save a local population of pikas.

“It’s the same argument that we hear with the wolverine,” he said. “If we’re going to be losing snowpack, what can we really do? For me, the frightening part of that argument is there might be people that say we can’t do anything, so they don’t warrant listing. I personally can’t accept that response.”

Steve Cain, Grand Teton’s senior wildlife biologist, said the park has started a pika study in collaboration with scientists from Teton Science Schools’ Conservation Research Center.

“We’re developing a long-term monitoring protocol so we can track how their distribution changes as climate changes,” he said. “This will be the first pika work that will be done in the Tetons. We’ve done some extensive habitat modeling to be able to predict where they occur on the landscape.”

In addition to the animal’s sensitivity to heat, the amount of forage in pika habitat is likely weather dependent and climate change could affect the amount of forage in these areas, Cain said.

Cain said people can help with the research effort by reporting where they hear or see pikas in the park.