Questions and Answers about
Animals
-
—
in AnimalsWhat is this celebrity bird from New Zealand?
Answer: The Pūteketeke bird, known for its unique vomit-producing behavior. won the “Bird of the Century” contest organized by Forest Bird, a conservation group in New Zealand. Comedian John Oliver played a significant role in the contest. He promoted the Pūteketeke bird on his show, “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver,” encouraging viewers to vote…
-
—
in AnimalsWhat’s this spiny creature, recently rediscovered in Indonesia, that lays eggs and has mole feet?
Answer: Attenborough’s long-beaked echidna, a critically endangered species, was rediscovered in the Cyclops Mountains of Papua, Indonesia. This unique creature, an egg-laying mammal and a distant relative of the platypus, both part of the monotreme family. was discovered in 1961 and thought to be extinct. However, recent efforts by Oxford University researchers captured its existence…
-
—
in AnimalsWhat do female European common frogs do to avoid mating?
Answer: Researchers observing female European common frogs found these Oscar-worthy performances. Led by Dr. Carolin Dittrich, a postdoctoral researcher with a keen eye for amphibious antics, the research showed that a third of these female frogs exhibit a behavior known as “tonic immobility” or, in simpler terms, they “play dead.” This peculiar behavior was brought…
-
—
in AnimalsWho was the world’s first cloned mammal?
Answer: [caption id="attachment_81564" align="alignright" width="220"]lt;img class=”size-medium wp-image-81564″ src=”https://HowSmart.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Screenshot-Ian-Wilmut-The-New-York-Times-YouTube-2023-09-12-172841_edited-e1694676044655-220×91.jpg” alt=”Ian Wilmut” width=”220″ height=”91″ / Screenshot: The New York Times YouTube Channel[/caption]_x000D__x000D_Born in 1996 and announced in 1997. Dolly, the sheep, was the world’s first mammal cloned from an adult cell. Sir Ian Wilmut, the mastermind behind this groundbreaking achievement. died on Sept. 10, 2023. Wilmut was…
-
—
in AnimalsWhich of these statements is true about Bobi, the world’s oldest dog?
Answer: Bobi is a 31-year-old Rafeiro do Alentejo, a purebred livestock guardian dog who lives in Conqueiros, a rural village in Portugal. He was born on May 11, 1992, and declared the world’s oldest dog by Guinness World Records on February 2, 2023._x000D__x000D_
-
—
in AnimalsWhat are raccoon dogs?
Answer: On March 17, 2023, scientists unveiled new data on the possible origins of the Covid-19 pandemic — and put this confusing creature in the spotlight. Raccoon dogs are members of the canine family, which includes domestic dogs but are most closely related to foxes. They are native to East Asia, including parts of China,…
-
—
in AnimalsWhat is this?
Answer: North America’s monarch butterfly has been classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The number of Western monarchs living west of the Rocky Mountains plunged by an estimated 99.9 percent between the 1980s and 2021. Eastern monarchs, which comprise most of North America’s population, dropped by 84 percent from 1996…
-
—
in AnimalsWhat’s Europe’s largest land animal?
Answer: The European bison is the heaviest wild land animal in Europe – one of two extant species of bison, alongside the American bison. A century ago, European bison were extinct in the wild but are now recovering through European reintroduction projects. The 7,000 bison living in Europe today descend from just 12 zoo animals
-
—
in AnimalsHow is the Bali myna different from other myna species?
Answer: Many myna species are considered invasive, imitate human voices in captivity, and eat insects and fruit (like many other bird species). The Bali myna, critically endangered and nearly extinct in the wild, is highly distinctive as it is entirely white. By 2001 experts estimated only about six Bali mynas were living in the wild,…
-
—
in AnimalsWhat is the world’s largest penguin?
Answer: The emperor is the world’s largest penguin and one of only two penguin species endemic to Antarctica. The emperor penguin is at severe risk of extinction in the next 30 to 40 years as a result of climate change, according to biologist Marcela Libertelli of the Argentine Antarctic Institute (IAA).
-
—
in AnimalsWhat were the Ichthyosaurs?
Answer: The Ichthyosaurs were giant extinct marine reptiles. These prehistoric animals were among the largest animals on earth, reaching a height of 20 meters (22 yards) and weighing an astonishing 80 metric tons (88 US tons). Originally appearing 250 million years ago, they left little trace of fossil remains._x000D_
-
—
in AnimalsHow old is the oldest known gorilla in the world?
Answer: Fatou, a western lowland gorilla believed to be the oldest globally, celebrated her 65th birthday on April 13, 2022, at the Berlin Zoo. In 2019, Fatou was named the “oldest living gorilla in captivity” by Guinness World Records after Trudy, a gorilla born in 1956, died. Gorillas usually live up to 50 years in…
-
—
in AnimalsWhat is the Joro spider?
Answer: Jorō spiders, or Trichonephila clavata, are Japanese spiders with colorful yellow, blue and red markings that measure three inches (8 cm) in length. Jorō spiders are venomous but pose little to no threat to humans._x000D_
-
—
in AnimalsWhich animal families have immortal members?
Answer: The immortal jellyfish and the turritopsis nutricula (a type of hydra) are the only two biologically immortal animal species known to science
-
—
in AnimalsAre Orcas actually whales?
Answer: Orcas, known as killer whales, are, in fact, members of the same family as dolphins (the toothed whales family of oceanic dolphins). The Blue, the Gray, and the Fin whales belong to the family Balaenidae, AKA the right whales._x000D_
-
—
in AnimalsWhat’s Jonah’s icefish?
Answer: Jonah’s icefish is an antarctic deep water fish. The name Jonah refers to the Old Testament whale story, alluding to how this type of icefish was discovered (in the stomach of a whale). Icefish absorb the oxygen-rich Antarctic waters through their skin. They thrive in temperatures just above freezing temperatures with massive hearts and…
-
—
in AnimalsWhat’s the difference between a centipede and a millipede?
Answer: Centipedes have one pair of legs per body segment, while millipedes have two. Typically millipedes have about 100 to 200 legs, while centipedes have as many as 382. Amazing details inside!
-
—
in AnimalsWhat’s a hydra?
Answer: A hydra is a freshwater-dwelling cnidarian no more than a half-inch long that eats mostly insect larvae and crustaceans and is equipped with the ability to regenerate its body — even its head. Researchers at the University of California, Irvine, pinpointed the genetic machinery behind some of these tiny creatures’ powers of regeneration, which…
-
—
in AnimalsWhat’s connecting Bella, Luna, Lucy, and Daisy?
Answer: According to the annual Rover survey, Bella, Luna, Lucy, and Daisy are the top four most popular female dog names in the US in 2021. Number five this year is Zoe, which didn’t make the top ten in 2020.
-
—
in AnimalsWhich rodent is a national symbol of Canada?
Answer: In 1975, the beaver was declared an official symbol of Canada. More answers inside!
