Q 01/05

Twiggy, an eastern gray squirrel act that debuted in Florida in 1979, is famous for which stunt?

A) Water-skiing

B) Skateboarding

C) Tightrope walking

D) Barrel rolling

Answer · why

A) Water-skiing

Water-skiing made Twiggy world news after a Florida couple who ran a roller rink trained their orphaned pet behind a remote-controlled boat. A string ...

Q 02/05

What trick does an eastern gray squirrel use when it senses another animal watching it hide food?

A) Eat it on the spot

B) Drop it and flee

C) Pretend to bury it

D) Chase the watcher off

Answer · why

C) Pretend to bury it

Pretend to bury it is the ruse: the squirrel digs a hole, mimes dropping the nut in and covers the spot, all with the food still tucked in its mouth.

Q 03/05

The eastern gray squirrel can climb down a tree head-first by rotating which body part to point backward?

A) Front paws

B) Hind feet

C) Shoulders

D) Tail base

Answer · why

B) Hind feet

Hind feet that swivel until the claws point backward let the eastern gray squirrel hang on while facing the ground, a trick very few mammals can manag...

Q 04/05

A 2006 British campaign to save red squirrels urged the public to do what with grey squirrels?

A) Adopt them

B) Count them

C) Feed them

D) Eat them

Answer · why

D) Eat them

Eat them was the message: the Save Our Squirrels campaign pushed grey squirrel meat to restaurants and butchers, with celebrity chefs and new cookbook...

Q 05/05

The eastern gray squirrel's genus name, Sciurus, comes from two Greek words that together mean what?

A) Nut thief

B) Tree runner

C) Shadow tail

D) Grey ghost

Answer · why

C) Shadow tail

Shadow tail is the usual reading of Sciurus, from the Greek skia and oura, thought to picture a squirrel sitting in the shade of its own raised tail.