What do you know
about Arctic animals?
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Question 1/8
Which of these animals does not live in the Arctic?
Polar bear
Penguin
Snowy owl
Don’t say that!
What would the Arctic be without the polar bear!
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You are absolutely right!
Penguins only live in the Southern hemisphere.
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Wrong!
The snowy owl is indigenous to the Arctic tundra.
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Question 2/8
This Arctic sea mammal has one long tusk.
White whale
Walrus
Narwhal
Wrong!
It is the narwhal that has a long (sometimes up to 3 meters) tusk.
The white whale is its close relative, but it has no tusk.
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Wrong!
Nature has endowed walruses with not one but two tusks.
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Right! Narwhals are called sea unicorns: male narwhals have
a long spiral-shaped tooth protruding from the upper jaw. According
to some researchers, the whale uses it to learn about water pressure, temperature and salinity.
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Question 3/8
What family does the wolverine belong to?
Canids
Weasel
Felids
You missed!
The wolverine belongs to the weasel family, not canids.
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You guessed it!
Indeed, the wolverine, a carnivore the size of a small dog,
belongs to the weasel family.
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No! Like cats, wolverines easily climb trees,
but belong to the weasel family.
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Question 4/8
This species of rodents living in the Arctic latitudes have claws on their front feet that grow together into hoofs that help the animal to dig through snow in search of food.
Lemmings
Squirrels
Field voles
You are absolutely right. There is a genus of rodents called
Arctic lemmings. In the winter, the claws on their front feet grow
especially long and look like hoofs.
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Wrong!
Certainly, squirrels are rodents, but we have never
heard of squirrels with hoofs.
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Not quite. Like Arctic lemmings, field voles are rodents,
but they have no hoofs.
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Question 5/8
These living even-toed ungulates are as old as mammoths. They have a long, thick coat that hangs down to the ground, as well as rounded horns that curve down.
Bison
Mountain goat
Musk oxen
Wrong! Bison look different: their hair is short,
while their horns are curved sideways.
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Wrong.
Goats have a long coat and quite different
horns: they are upturned.
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Exactly.
This is how musk oxen look.
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Question 6/8
Arctic hares live both on land and … in the sea. This pinniped mammal, known as the sea hare, is also called the:
Ringed seal
Bearded seal
Eared seal
Nope!
The right answer is bearded seal.
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Right! There are different versions of why bearded seals
are called sea hares. One of them is their ability to jump high,
and another one is their fearfulness.
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Wrong.
The eared seal is compared to a lion rather than a hare
as it can produce a hoarse roar.
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Question 7/8
How long is a polar bear’s gestation period?
Seven months
Nine months
Three months
You guessed it! Polar bears’ pregnancy lasts for seven months.
The litter usually consists of two bear cubs weighing some 600-700 g.
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Wrong!
Female polar bears need less time than humans to gestate:
just seven months.
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Three months is too short for a polar bear.
It’s pregnancy lasts for seven months.
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Question 8/8
The eyes of these even-toed ungulates change color depending on the time of the year: gold in the summer and blue during the polar night.
Siberian roe deer
Elk
Reindeer
Not so!
Indeed, roe deer have very beautiful eyes,
but they are always dark brown.
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You are wrong!
This feature is not typical for elks.
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You’re right! Reindeer’s eye color changes depending on the season. This adaptive trait increases their ability to perceive light, which helps reindeer see predators better in the dark.
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8/8
Great job! Where have you learned all this? Are you a zoologist?
8/8
Not bad! You are not an expert, but you have a pretty good knowledge of Arctic animals.
8/8
Zoology is not your strong suit yet, but don’t be sad! You can learn more about Arctic animals on our website.