Q 01/05

Like all hares, the Arctic hare gets extra goodness from tough plants by eating what?

A) Frozen soil

B) Its own droppings

C) Its shed winter coat

D) Old antlers

Answer · why

B) Its own droppings

Its own droppings, or at least the soft kind: tough fibre is fermented in the gut, passed out as moist pellets and eaten again so the nutrients can fi...

Q 02/05

An Arctic hare fleeing upright on its hind legs leaves tracks that look like those of what?

A) A large wading bird

B) A child in heavy boots

C) A three-legged animal

D) A small deer

Answer · why

C) A three-legged animal

A three-legged animal is what the prints suggest: a frightened hare stands up, tucks one front paw against its body and hops away still upright.

Q 03/05

Arctic hares sometimes rear up and swat each other with their front paws, a habit named after which sport?

A) Boxing

B) Fencing

C) Wrestling

D) Karate

Answer · why

A) Boxing

Boxing is part of the Arctic hare's body language, alongside snapping, scratching and laying the ears flat.

Q 04/05

On tundra where ponds and streams are often frozen solid, how do Arctic hares get the water they need?

A) Licking sea ice

B) Sucking wet moss

C) Digging to springs

D) Eating snow

Answer · why

D) Eating snow

Eating snow is how an Arctic hare drinks, and the supply rarely runs out: it digs through the same snow cover to reach the plants it feeds on.

Q 05/05

Which long-eared animals of western North America are true hares like the Arctic hare, despite their name?

A) Cottontail rabbits

B) Jackrabbits

C) Swamp rabbits

D) Brush rabbits

Answer · why

B) Jackrabbits

Jackrabbits belong to the same genus as the Arctic hare, and they are quick too: they can hold about 40 mph over distance and clear 3 metres in a sing...