Q 01/05

Adélie penguins are notorious thieves at breeding time, sneaking what from neighbours' nests to build up their own?

A) Eggs

B) Stones

C) Feathers

D) Seaweed

Answer · why

B) Stones

Stones piled into a mound lift the eggs clear of meltwater, so every one is worth stealing. A study of 450 nests near Casey station found that pairs w...

Q 02/05

The Adélie penguin is named for Adèle, who was what to the explorer whose crew discovered the species?

A) His wife

B) His sister

C) His daughter

D) His queen

Answer · why

A) His wife

His wife, Adèle, first gave her name to a stretch of Antarctic coast that Jules Dumont d'Urville sighted in 1840. The penguins collected there were th...

Q 03/05

Scientists counting Adélie penguins from space scan satellite images of bare coast for red-brown stains left by what?

A) Red lichen

B) Old feathers

C) Droppings

D) Snow algae

Answer · why

C) Droppings

Droppings, known as guano, stain a colony's ground so strongly that it shows up from orbit. A 2014 count using this trick found 3.79 million breeding ...

Q 04/05

Which powerful predator patrols the ice edge and is the main hunter of adult Adélie penguins in the water?

A) Polar bear

B) Elephant seal

C) Greenland shark

D) Leopard seal

Answer · why

D) Leopard seal

Leopard seal ambushes near the ice edge are the main threat to adults, so Adélies swim in groups for safety. Polar bears, often pictured beside pengui...

Q 05/05

When snow lies deep enough, Adélie penguins save energy by doing what instead of walking upright?

A) Hopping with both legs together

B) Sliding on their bellies

C) Rolling down the slopes

D) Riding on drifting ice

Answer · why

B) Sliding on their bellies

Sliding on their bellies, known as tobogganing, lets them cover ground quickly for less effort than a waddle. Walking upright, they average only about...