White-tailed ptarmigan White-tailed ptarmigan The white-tailed ptarmigan ("Lagopus leucura"), also known as the snow quail, is the smallest bird in the grouse family. It is a permanent resident of high altitudes on or above the tree line and is native to Alaska and the mountainous parts of Canada and the western United States. It has also been introduced into the Sierra Nevada in California, the Wallowa Mountains in Oregon and the Uinta Mountains in Utah. Its plumage is cryptic and varies at different times of the year. In the summer it is speckled in gray, brown and white whereas in winter it
Ocean acidification in the Arctic Ocean has also allowed more Pacific water to flow into in the Arctic ocean during the winter, this is called Pacific winter water. The Pacific water flows into the Arctic ocean carrying additional amounts of carbon dioxide by being exposed to the atmosphere and absorbing carbon dioxide from decaying organic matter and from sediments. The Arctic ocean pH levels are rapidly decreasing because not only is the ocean water absorbing more carbon dioxide due to increased surface area exposure as a result of a decrease in sea ice. It also has large amounts of carbon dioxide being transferred to the Arctic