Physiological stress of pika for Niwot Ridge, Green Lakes Valley and Brainard Lake Recreation Area, 2017

During the spring and fall of 2017 we collected fecal samples to evaluate physiological stress within American pika (Ochotona princeps) populations occupying different sites on and near Niwot Ridge. By using non-invasive methods to collect fecal samples from pikas in the field, we were able to measure baseline stress hormone (glucocorticoid) metabolites in individuals. Fresh fecal samples deposited in traps by trapped pikas were paired with fresh fecal samples collected from the territory in which the same pika was trapped. Fresh fecal samples were also collected from plot surveys and other locations during the 2017 Niwot Ridge pika survey. Along with pika occupancy surveys, surveys of physiological stress have the potential to explain patterns of pika distribution across the landscape.