The AnswerBank Articles

Why do some plants flower in winter, how is this advantageous

A. Plants such as dog’s mercury, Mercurialis perennis, which flowers from February to April and the snowdrop, Galanthus nivalis, which flowers from January to March, grow in deciduous woodland.00:00 Mon 04th Feb 2002

The New Year weather has been awful, is there anything worth looking out for in the countryside

A. Most definitely. Just because the rain, gales and cold weather seem inhospitable to us, don't be fooled: nature makes the most of winter weather. Even the most leafless of trees can provide a bit00:00 Mon 04th Feb 2002

Can ducks be housetrained

A. Cherrys is presumably thinking of getting a rather unconventional pet and wants to know how messy it will be. Thanks to rekstout and incitatus for their advice. Here The AnswerBank looks into00:00 Mon 04th Feb 2002

Which are the biggest snakes

A. Betteredit wants to know which 6 species of snake are the biggest. Q. Why is it a problem A. The reason Betteredit might be asking this question is because there's quite a lot of controversy00:00 Mon 28th Jan 2002

Why do eucalyptus trees have flammable leaves

A. There are around 700 species of eucalyptus tree, some of which have leaves that contain a highly flammable oil, although the trees themselves are relatively flame proof. The flammable leaves00:00 Mon 28th Jan 2002

Is there such a thing as a blue moon

A. Yes, in fact there are two definitions of a blue moon. In the first, large amounts of dust, the kind that volcanic eruptions eject into the upper atmosphere causes sunsets to turn green and the00:00 Mon 14th Jan 2002

What is the deadliest living creature known to humans

A. If you're talking about venomous creatures, rather than our own species and microorganisms that pose an invisible deadly threat, then this prize goes to the sea wasp, or marine stinger. Q. I00:00 Mon 14th Jan 2002

How do fish survive in sub zero temperatures

A. They use two mechanisms: notothenioid, to give them their official name, fish can tolerate the presence of ice crystals within their bodies and they have anti freeze in their blood. Q. How do00:00 Mon 14th Jan 2002

Why, of all animals, have scientists used cloned pigs to use for organ transplant for humans

A. The five piglets born on Christmas day are clones produced with the intention of providing suitable organs for transplanting to humans, officially known as xenotransplantation. There are several00:00 Mon 07th Jan 2002

What s the best way to groom my Persian cat

A. Here The AnswerBank tries to straighten things out for Persian cat owners. Q. How often should I groom my Persian cat A. At least every other day, but ideally once a day to keep that long00:00 Mon 07th Jan 2002

What are sea monkeys

A. Well, as you've probably guessed, they're not really monkeys, nor do they normally live in the sea. Sea monkeys are actually crustaceans, called brine shrimp that live in salt lakes, like the one00:00 Mon 07th Jan 2002

How efficient is an elephant s trunk at holding water

A. Very: It can hold up to 15 litres of water, which it can either drink or use to wash itself and keep cool. Q. How does it manage to hold so much water A. An elephant's trunk is very muscely;00:00 Mon 31st Dec 2001

Do leopards store their killed prey in trees

A. Yes they do. As soon as they\ve killed their next meal the leopard drags it up into a tree before any nearby opportunist gets a whiff of it and moves in. Q. How A. They carry the dead animal00:00 Mon 31st Dec 2001

What makes us yawn

A. Surprisingly little is known about what yawning is for. The commonly held theory is that we do it because we're tired or bored but the evidence doesn't really back these suggestions up. Although00:00 Mon 31st Dec 2001

Where do Komodo Dragons come from

A. Indonesia. Komodo dragons, Varanus komodoensis, live in the hot grasslands, savannahs, and monsoon forests of four islands in the south-east of the archipelgo - Komodo, Rinca, Gila Motang and00:00 Mon 24th Dec 2001

I m thinking of getting my pet dog tagged with a microchip, what s involved

A. Micro chipping involves an ID chip being inserted into your dog, or other pet that can be read if they ever become lost. Q. How much does it cost A. It's quite a simple procedure, which your00:00 Mon 24th Dec 2001

How can I stop cats fouling my garden

A. apfoster has been having problems with cats using his garden as a local convenience and has been looking for suggestions on how to deter them. Thanks to andy hughes for his own insight into the00:00 Mon 24th Dec 2001

What is an invertebrate

A. An invertebrate is any animal that doesn't have a backbone. Invertebrates make up the majority of the animal kingdom, both in terms of number of species overall and individual numbers. Although00:00 Mon 17th Dec 2001

What is the equivalent of hibernation in summer

A. Although, as we're gripped by winter, it may be hard for us to understand, some animals do have to employ special mechanisms to cope with summer conditions. Beth wanted to know the official name00:00 Mon 17th Dec 2001

How will the world end

A. The Big Bang, which happened around 15 billion years ago, is generally accepted as the point at which our universe began, but will it ever end and if so, how Here The AnswerBank looks at some of00:00 Mon 17th Dec 2001