B. Taxonomy, identification, natural history-birds, mammals, reptiles/amphibians

Question 1

A bird that is hatched, feathered, and able to eat on its own and follow it’s parents shortly after hatching is an example of:
A. a precocial bird
B. a fledgling bird
C. an altricial bird
D. an imprinted bird

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Which of the following birds are considered to be precocial?
A. robins and crows
B. pheasants and owls
C. killdeer and grouse
D. wood ducks and pigeons
E. starlings and bluebirds

Answer 2

C

Question 3

An infant bird that hatches naked, blind and totally dependent on it’s parents is an example of:
A. a precocial bird
B. a fledgling bird
C. an altricial bird
D. an imprinted bird

Answer 3

C

Question 4

If an avian species is sexually dichromatic (a type of dimorphism), the gender of an adult bird can be determined by plumage.

Answer 4

True

Question 5

Birds that do not preen adequately may lose the water proofing and thermoregulatory qualities of their feathers.

Answer 5

True

Question 6

The most common sexual relationship among birds is monogomy, in which a pair remains together through at least one nesting season.

Answer 6

True

Question 7

Clutch size is the:
A. number of eggs laid in a single nesting
B. number of birds fledged from the nest
C. number of birds raised in a nesting season
D. amount of prey that can be grasped between talons

Answer 7

A

Question 8

Preening is a commonly observed behavior of birds involving the careful cleaning, rearrangement, and oiling of the feathers with the bill to preserve flight and thermo regulatory properties.

Answer 8

True

Question 9

Birds that mate for life will not pair with other birds if their mates are lost.

Answer 9

False

Question 10

Birds cope with cold by:
A. raising metabolic rate
B. constricting blood vessels in the feet
C. tucking a leg and/or beak under body/wing feathers
D. fluffing out feathers to increase air insulation layer
E. all of the above

Answer 10

E

Question 11

The presence of a brood patch (featherless area) on the belly of a bird identifies it as a female.

Answer 11

False

Question 12

The average lifespan for most songbirds that reach adulthood is 2 to 4 years; however, some birds have been documented to survive over 10 years.

Answer 12

True

Question 13

Studies indicate that a nesting success (at least one chick fledges) rate of 60 to 70% is typical among open nesting songbirds during an average breeding season.

Answer 13

False

Question 14

House sparrows are known for harrassing native cavity nesting birds such as the eastern bluebird by stealing nest sites, breaking eggs, killing nestlings and even attacking adults.

Answer 14

True

Question 15

The European starling is known to harass cavity nesting birds.

Answer 15

True

Question 16

Which of the following generally migrate out of Minnesota each fall?
A. eastern bluebird and common crow
B. eastern bluebird, mallard duck, and common night hawk
C. eastern bluebird and great horned owl
D. all of the above

Answer 16

B

Question 17

Which of the following species generally do not migrate:
A. tundra swan
B. American robin
C. hairy woodpecker
D. yellow-bellied sapsucker
E. spotted sandpiper

Answer 17

C

Question 18

All of the following are species introduced to North America (exotics) except:
A. ring-necked pheasant
B. chukar
C. trumpeter swan
D. mute swan
e. rock dove (common pigeon)

Answer 18

C

Question 19

Which of the following groups consists of small, active, brightly colored, insectivorous birds which gather in mixed flocks during migration:
A. sparrows
B. thrushes
C. warblers
D. flycatcher
E. wrens

Answer 19

C

Question 20

When their breeding efforts are complete, the males of most duck species in the Northern Hemisphere molt from their brightly colored breeding plumage to a dull, cryptic plumage called their:
A. immature plumage
B. migration plumage
C. eclipse plumage
D. drab plumage

Answer 20

C

Question 21

Ducks known to nest in tree cavities and man-made nest boxes (thereby forcing their young to jump several feet to the ground in order to reach water) include the:
A. wood duck
B. mallard
C. bufflehead
D. common merganser
E. blue winged teal
F. A, C, and D

Answer 21

F

Question 22

Which of the following types of birds typically feed on the wing (in flight)?
A. woodpeckers and flickers
B. nighthawks
C. swifts and swallows
D. egrets and ibises
E. A, B, and C
F. B and C

Answer 22

F

Question 23

House wrens aggressively protect their own nest cavities but do not invade other nest cavities in their own terrirtory.

Answer 23

False

Question 24

The American Robin belongs to the same family as mockingbirds and brown thrashers.

Answer 24

False

Question 25

What characteristic identifies American robins and eastern bluebirds as members of the thrush subfamily and is only apparent when they are juveniles? A. prominent pin feathers B. preference for crickets and worms C. melodious song D. spotted breast E. outer white tail feathers

Answer 25

D

Question 26

Which of the following characteristics enable woodpeckers to climb tree trunks? A. strong claws B. short legs C. stiff tail feather D. two toes pointing forward and two back E. strong bills F. A, B, C G. A, B, C, and D H. all of the above

Answer 26

G

Question 27

The only hummingbird species that is commonly found in Minnesota is the ruby-throated hummingbird.

Answer 27

True

Question 28

Hummingbirds, swifts and poorwills can enter a state of tupor in which body temperature may drop as much as 50 degrees F for several hours during the night or for days during extremely inclement weather.

Answer 28

True

Question 29

Jays and crows are predatory during the spring and summer. Bird eggs and nestlings are among their preferred foods.

Answer 29

True

Question 30

Which of the following lays its eggs in the nests of other species? A. Brewer's blackbird B. brown-headed cowbird C. bobolink D. rose-breasted grosbeak E. common grackle

Answer 30

B

Question 31

Each of the following species usually nests in colonies/rookeries EXCEPT: A. double-crested cormorant B. great blue heron C. great egret D. blue jay E. purple martin

Answer 31

D

Question 32

Some species of ducks, geese, swans, grebes, and pelicans molt synchronously - they change their feathers all at once over a 2 to 4 week period, rendering them flightless and more vunerable to predation during this time.

Answer 32

True

Question 33

Which of the following builds its nest on the ground? A. killdeer B. common nighthawk C. mallard D. all od the above

Answer 33

D

Question 34

A major cause of the decline in populations of neotropical migrants is the increasing rate of nest failure in fragmented forests due to: A. parasitism by the brown-headed cowbird B. predation by jays and crows C. predation by feral cats D. predation by raccoons E. all of the above

Answer 34

E

Question 35

Which of the following is a true carnivore? A. raccoon B. deer C. opossum D. mink

Answer 35

D

Question 36

Newborn cottontail rabbits are blind, feeble and nearly devoid of hair.

Answer 36

True

Question 37

Which of the following mammals is NOT a rodent? A. beaver B. deer mouse C. cottontail rabbit D. flying squirrel

Answer 37

C

Question 38

The woodchuck, a member of the squirrel family, is able to climb trees.

Answer 38

True

Question 39

Young of woodchucks are precocial and thus capable of self-feeding shortly after birth.

Answer 39

False

Question 40

The muskrat is a large aquatic vole which has scent glands that produce a musky secretion.

Answer 40

True

Question 41

Gray squirrels are primarily gray on their backs and sides, but often with a brown cast - albinos are rare, but black individuals are common in some localities.

Answer 41

True

Question 42

Gray squirrels are true hibernators - during the winter they stay in their nest or dens and significantly reduce their body temperature.

Answer 42

False

Question 43

Gray squirrels build leaf nests. However, if given the option, they prefer to nest in tree cavities.

Answer 43

True

Question 44

Scolding and tail flicking are part of a complex of behavior patterns which gray squirrels use as threats and warnings.

Answer 44

True

Question 45

The red squirrel's staple food is typically conifer seeds (spruce, fir, pine and cedar) which are commonly harvested and stored in caches.

Answer 45

True

Question 46

Flying squirrels have large eyes which are an asset to their nocturnal lifestyle.

Answer 46

True

Question 47

A raccoon has omnivorous and opportunistic food habits.

Answer 47

True

Question 48

The young of raccoons are altricial and thus entirely dependent on parental care at birth.

Answer 48

True

Question 49

Raccoons are true hibernators in the winter.

Answer 49

False

Question 50

Lagomorphs (rabbits, hares, pikas) and rodents (squirrels, gophers, beavers, porcupines, muskrats, woodchucks, rats, mice, voles, etc) have ever-growing incisors (front teeth).

Answer 50

True

Question 51

A femaile cottontail rabbit that is nursing young rabbits is called a : A. doe B. filly C. cow

Answer 51

A

Question 52

Cottontail rabbits are classified as belonging to the order: A. Rodentia B. Lagomorpha C. Carnivora

Answer 52

B

Question 53

Female cottontail rabbits remain on their nests with their young most of the day, only leaving long enough to eat.

Answer 53

False

Question 54

Which of the following mammals are true hibernators? A. fox B. gray squirrel C. raccoon D. woodchuck E. cottontail rabbit

Answer 54

D

Question 55

The average life-span of a cottontail rabbit in the wild that survives infancy is 6 months to two years of age.

Answer 55

True

Question 56

Newborn snowshoe hares have their eyes open, are fully furred and able to walk or hop within one or two days.

Answer 56

True

Question 57

Snowshoe hares have markedly longer legs and larger feet than cottontails.

Answer 57

True

Question 58

Which of the following statements about opossums is FALSE? A. usually live for over 8 years in the wild B. newborns are blind and the size of honey bees C. the young stay in the pouch for about 13 weeks D. adults are omnivorous

Answer 58

A

Question 59

Opossum are known to play dead to avoid predation.

Answer 59

True

Question 60

Bats belong to the same taxonomic order as rodents.

Answer 60

False

Question 61

How do bat species in Minnesota cope with the winter? A. they hibernate in caves B. they hibernate in buildings (attics, barns, belfries, etc) C. they migrate south to warmer climates D. all of the above

Answer 61

D

Question 62

Most mustelids (marten, fisher, weasel, mink, wolverine) are active hunters and specialized for a meat diet.

Answer 62

True

Question 63

Striped skunks are active chiefly during the day.

Answer 63

False

Question 64

Young skunks with their eyes still closed don't spray much, if at all.

Answer 64

False

Question 65

Coyotes live singly or associate in pairs or family groups-they do not hunt in packs as consistantly as wolves do.

Answer 65

True

Question 66

White-tailed bucks typically drop their antlers after the mating season which occurs in: A. March to April B. June to July C. September to early October D. late October to December

Answer 66

D

Question 67

Unlike reptiles (e.g. turtles, lizards, snakes), amphibians (e.g. frogs, toads, salamanders) have smooth, glandular skin which lacks scales, have clawless digits, and some can breathe through their skin and mucus membranes.

Answer 67

True

Question 68

Cold-blooded creatures (ectotherms) such as reptiles and amphibians can live for extended periods (days to months) without eating.

Answer 68

True

Question 69

Most snakes in Minnesota are poisonous.

Answer 69

False

Question 70

All venomous snakes have vertical (elliptical) pupils, facial pits and triangular heads.

Answer 70

False

Question 71

The painted turtle is one of the most common turtles found in Minnesota.

Answer 71

True

Question 72

Garter snakes can, and often do, expel a foul smelling fluid when alarmed.

Answer 72

True

Question 73

Under Minnesota's Endangered Species Statute, a species threatened with extinction throughout all or a significant portion of it's range in Minnesota would be listed as: A. endangered B. threatened C. special concern D. none of the above

Answer 73

A

Question 74

Over the past two centuries, loss of habitat has become the single most important factor threatening the survival of species.

Answer 74

True

Question 75

Species become endangered or threatened for a variety of complex reasons. The primary cause in Minnesota is: A. habitat loss and habitat degradation B. environmental contamination C. species exploitation and species collection D. unregulated hunting E. all of the above

Answer 75

A