Q 01/05

What does a camel's hump actually store?

A) Water

B) Fat

C) Milk

D) Muscle

Answer · why

B) Fat

Fat, not water: the hump is an energy reserve, and it goes limp and droops to one side as the camel uses it up when food is scarce.

Q 02/05

Which non-polar desert is widely considered the driest on Earth?

A) Sahara

B) Mojave

C) Gobi

D) Atacama

Answer · why

D) Atacama

The Atacama Desert in South America receives extremely little rainfall, with some areas experiencing virtually no recorded precipitation, making it th...

Q 03/05

Asia's Gobi Desert is classed as which type of desert?

A) Hot and dry

B) Coastal

C) Cold winter

D) Subtropical

Answer · why

C) Cold winter

Cold winter: the Gobi lies deep inside Asia, hundreds of kilometres from any ocean, so winds arrive already wrung dry; frost and even snow can settle ...

Q 04/05

Which feature helps desert animals shed excess heat?

A) Large ears

B) Short legs

C) Water storage humps

D) Thick fur

Answer · why

A) Large ears

Large ears work as radiators: when the blood vessels in them widen, warm blood spreads over a big surface and its heat escapes into the air, which is ...

Q 05/05

What is the general term for plants that store water in thickened, fleshy stems, leaves or roots?

A) Epiphytes

B) Carnivores

C) Succulents

D) Parasites

Answer · why

C) Succulents

Succulents keep water in swollen leaves, stems or roots; cacti are succulents, but many succulents, such as the jade plant, are not cacti.