The AnswerBank Articles

Do fish sleep

Asked sloth recently. A. Sleep, a period of rest when the eyes are closed and there is little movement or thought, is a human definition and one that doesn't accurately describe how fish rest. 00:00 Mon 11th Jun 2001

The general established view seems to be that birds evolved from dinosaurs, but what did dinosaurs evolve from

A. From thecodonts, four legged reptiles, that existed during the Permian period and became extinct by the end of the Triassic. The thecodonts were also modern crocodiles ancestors. Q. What did00:00 Mon 04th Jun 2001

Can animals detect an impending earthquake

A. This theory, that animals display unusual behaviour, indicating an approaching earthquake, up to half an hour before it hits, has long been a subject of controversy and has both supporters and00:00 Mon 04th Jun 2001

Are sharks fish

A. Yes, but unlike the majority of fish, which are bony, sharks, along with skates and rays, have a skeleton made of cartilage, which sets them apart. A shark's cartilaginous skeleton makes them00:00 Mon 04th Jun 2001

Can my dog eat the same food as me

A. Thanks to djtaz11398 for this question recently to see Sensei's answer click here. Basically, it depends how good YOUR diet is! Stick to fresh food where possible when feeding your dog, also00:00 Sun 27th May 2001

Why do some animals hibernate and others don t

Thanks to Henryn for this question. A. Animals hibernate as a means of coping with food scarcity during winter months, usually in those parts of the world affected by seasonality. Whether an00:00 Mon 28th May 2001

What special adaptations does a giraffe s neck have

Asked sabrinah recently. A. Surprisingly, they have the same number of neck bones, vertebra, as most other mammals: seven. However each vertebra is much longer than those of other mammals. A00:00 Mon 28th May 2001

What s the difference between parrots, parakeets, cockatoos, macaws, lories & lorikeets

Thanks to Ginbottle for this question. A. 'Parrot' is the commonly used generic name for a group of over 300 species of bird that belong to the order Psittaciformes. Confusingly it is also the00:00 Mon 21st May 2001

Can you feed dogs and cats a vegetarian diet

A. Dogs fare quite satisfactorily on a vegetarian diet, but not cats. Cats are more specialised and there are several important factors to be considered before changing your cat to a vegetarian00:00 Mon 21st May 2001

How does an electric eel produce electricity

A. An electric eel's body has thousands of special cells, called electrolytes, which produce electric currents. The individual cells, which are modified muscle cells, are stacked together along00:00 Mon 21st May 2001

Is the biggest organism on Earth animal, vegetable or mineral

A. It's vegetable: a grove of quaking aspen trees, or Populus tremuloides to give the tree its proper Latin name. The grove, in Utah, USA, weighs in at 6,600 tons and is the world's largest living00:00 Tue 15th May 2001

Do all volcanic eruptions occur at plate boundaries

Asked Henryn recently. You can see Sensei's answer here or read The AnswerBanks extended answer here. A. No, although the vast majority of volcanic eruptions occur near plate boundaries, there are00:00 Tue 15th May 2001

Do dolphins and whales sleep

A. Yes, but in a different way to land mammals. Land mammals don't have to think about breathing, it's an involuntary reflex action, controlled by subconscious mechanisms. Consequently land mammals00:00 Mon 14th May 2001

Are the Himalayas still growing and if so, how fast

A. Yes, these mountains, of which Everest is part, are still growing as the Earth's continents move, pushing India further north and The Himalayas even higher. The Himalayas are growing about an inch00:00 Mon 07th May 2001

Are deer antlers living bone or are they a bit like our nails and hair, which are dead

A. Antlers begin as living, solid bone tissue with a honeycombed structure, covered in velvety skin full of blood vessels to feed the bone essential vitamins and minerals as it grows. After two00:00 Mon 07th May 2001

Can Chameleons really change colour to match any background

A. No, the range they can produce is limited and therefore cannot correspond exactly to any background. Each chameleon has a basic colour, which broadly matches its habitat. Changes in colour are00:00 Mon 07th May 2001

Do elephants really never forget

A. Well, this famous saying has recently gained scientific backing. A study of elephants in Kenya has revealed that, yes; some elephants do display a memory. Q. Do all elephants have a memory 00:00 Mon 30th Apr 2001

Which came first feathers or flying

A. Assuming that our feathered friends, the birds, descended from dinosaurs, which seems to be the likeliest scenario at present, there has been much debate regarding this question. A recent fossil,00:00 Mon 30th Apr 2001

I d like to buy a puppy, where should I start

A. Spend some time thinking about exactly what you have to offer the puppy and what you expect from it. It's important to consider what kind of dog you'd like the puppy to grow into: a large or00:00 Mon 30th Apr 2001

Why do crabs walk sideways

Q. Why do crabs walk sideways A. Because that's the only way they can. Crab leg joints have very little movement from side to side, but more in an up and down direction, similar to if you place00:00 Mon 23rd Apr 2001