Q 01/05

Which flightless bird is the largest and heaviest bird alive today?

A) Emu

B) Southern cassowary

C) Ostrich

D) Greater rhea

Answer · why

C) Ostrich

The ostrich cannot fly, but it can sprint at about 70 km/h, and a kick from its two-toed foot is powerful enough to kill a lion.

Q 02/05

What are animals called when outside heat, not their own, sets their body temperature?

A) Endotherms

B) Ectotherms

C) Homeotherms

D) Mesotherms

Answer · why

B) Ectotherms

Ectotherms, such as frogs and lizards, rely on outside heat to set body temperature, which lets them run on very economical metabolic rates; endotherm...

Q 03/05

What is the largest land mammal by weight?

A) Hippopotamus

B) African Elephant

C) White Rhinoceros

D) Asian Elephant

Answer · why

B) African Elephant

The African elephant is the largest land mammal: bush elephant bulls average around six tonnes, and their huge ears, far bigger than an Asian elephant...

Q 04/05

Which seasonal dormancy, marked by low body temperature, slow breathing and a slow metabolism, lets many animals overwinter?

A) Cryptobiosis

B) Estivation

C) Hibernation

D) Torpor

Answer · why

C) Hibernation

Hibernation was long reserved for deep sleepers such as rodents, but bears are now counted too: their bodies stay above 30 °C while their metabolism f...

Q 05/05

On an insect, which body section carries all six legs and the wings?

A) Head

B) Thorax

C) Abdomen

D) Cephalothorax

Answer · why

B) Thorax

The thorax is the insect's engine room: the whole section is specialised for movement, and it holds the muscles that drive the legs and wings.