Q 01/05

Which of these features is found in mammals and in no other class of animal?

A) Lungs

B) Mammary glands

C) A four-chambered heart

D) A backbone

Answer · why

B) Mammary glands

Mammary glands mark the class, while birds share the four-chambered heart and warm blood. The platypus has the glands but no teats, so its milk seeps ...

Q 02/05

What is the largest mammal on Earth?

A) Sperm whale

B) Fin whale

C) African elephant

D) Blue whale

Answer · why

D) Blue whale

Blue whale: the largest animal known ever to have lived reaches about 30 metres, yet it feeds almost entirely on krill, straining them from huge mouth...

Q 03/05

The platypus and the echidnas form which group of mammals, the only ones that lay eggs?

A) Monotremes

B) Placentals

C) Rodents

D) Marsupials

Answer · why

A) Monotremes

Monotremes means 'single opening' in Greek: unlike most mammals, they have one vent that serves for waste, mating and laying eggs.

Q 04/05

Which land mammal is recognized as the fastest over short distances?

A) Horse

B) Pronghorn

C) Cheetah

D) Lion

Answer · why

C) Cheetah

Cheetah: it reaches highway speed in about three seconds, but a full sprint lasts well under a minute, so it stalks close to its prey before it charge...

Q 05/05

Echolocation is shared with whales and shrews, so which ability is unique to bats among mammals?

A) Hanging upside down

B) Hunting at night

C) Hibernating through winter

D) Sustained flight

Answer · why

D) Sustained flight

Sustained flight is theirs alone, since flying squirrels and sugar gliders only glide. Wings took bats where other land mammals never reached: they ar...