FRPP - FRPP Quiz

Welcome back Pika Patrollers! Please take some time to review your data and scat collection protocols and take this refresher quiz. Data and scat collection protocols can be found on the Resources page and in your volunteer manual. Note: The quiz does not have a time limit.

Pika Patrol Data Collection

1) Which of the sounds below is a pika?

a)

b)

Recordings provided by Western Soundscape Archive

2) Arrival Time and Departure Time must be the exact SAME times as Start Time and End Time.

a) True
b) False, the time that you actually start you search for pika may vary from when you arrive at your site.

3) Talus is a term that can mean:

a) Rocks larger than 6 inches across
b) Rocky substrate with a fractured surface
c) Have crevices deep enough for a pika to find shelter underneath
d) All of the above

4) Presence of a Pika can be determined by:

a) Visual, Auditory or a Fresh Haypile
b) Scat, Old Haypile, Urine
c) Hearing a pika from across the ridge or seeing them along the trail before you arrive at your site

5) On the data form, you need to circle the appropriate indicators (Visual, Auditory, Fresh Hay Pile) ONLY if pikas are present.

a) True
b) False

6) Size of the talus area is NOT an estimation and must be precise to the nearest 5 meters.

a) True: It is critical to spend at least 30 minutes measuring the size of the talus area.
b) False: Estimate the talus area using general size estimates.

7) The best place to start the pika survey is (see photo):

a) From the exact GPS coordinate
b) From the trailhead
c) In an area with the largest rocks at the edge of the talus patch (typically along the bottom edge) within 200 m of the coordinate

8) The GPS unit map datum should be set to:

a) WGS84.
b) NAD83.
c) NAD87.

9) The GPS unit position format should be set to latitude longitude in:

a) Degrees, minutes and seconds (hddd.mm.ss.s).
b) Decimal degrees (hddd.dddd).
c) Degrees and decimal minute (hddd.mm.mmm).

10) Which of the following pictures depicts a pika:

Photos by David Hannigan.

11) After uploading the data to pikapartners.org, the paper data form:

a) can be recycled, the information is stored in the website
b) should be kept and mailed to Denver Zoo along with any scat collected

Collecting Pika Scat

12) Pika pellets most resemble:

a) Lincoln Logs
b) Peppercorns
c) Marbles

13) Touching pika scat can add human DNA to the scat, harming the sample. These methods can be used to avoid touching pika scat:

a) Latex gloves provided in the pika scat collection kit
b) A chopstick method: using two sticks to pick up the pika pellets individually
c) Using another sheet of paper to scrap the pellets into the envelope
d) All of the above

14) When sealing the envelope, make sure to use enough saliva to avoid a paper cut on your tongue.

a) True: Paper cuts are painful
b) False: Do not lick the envelope. Use the sticker included in your collection kit

15) How many pellets should I collect?

a) 3 no more, no less
b) No more than 5
c) At least 4

16) What is the proper way to label a scat envelope?

a) Date, Site Name
b) Date, Site Coordinates
c) Site Name only
d) Date, Your Name, Site Name, Site Coordinates

Returning Volunteers Training Quiz