White-tailed ptarmigan listed as "Vulnerable". This bird serves as an indicator species for the alpine tundra, and denotes overall ecosystem health. It is not a conservation concern and is abundant in alpine zones across North America, indicating that this region is not undergoing dramatic climatic, temperature, or precipitation shifts. The lack of overgrazing by cattle, the lack of human development in alpine zones, the difficulty in accessing its remote habitat, the low densities at which it occurs and the laws regarding the limits to hunting bags allow the white-tailed ptarmigan to thrive. White-tailed ptarmigan The white-tailed ptarmigan ("Lagopus leucura"), also known as
Winter white dwarf hamster sungorus sungorus". Today Winter white dwarf hamsters and Campbell's dwarf hamsters are considered separate species with the Winter white officially known as "Phodopus sungorus". The coat of the Winter white hamster is less woolly than that of Campbell's dwarf hamster, and apart from the normal colouring, they can be coloured sapphire, sapphire pearl, or normal pearl. The head length of the Winter white hamster is 70–90 mm, the length of the tail is 5–15 mm, and the hind legs are 11–15 mm. The body weight changes dramatically throughout the year. It is at its lowest during the winter. In males,