The AnswerBank Articles

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

Why does my dog bury his bones

Q. Why does my dog bury his bones A. Favourite items such as bones and toys are probably buried as a means of saving them for later. This particular behaviour is probably ancestral and descends00:00 Mon 23rd Apr 2001

Can male seahorses really become pregnant

Q. Can male seahorses really become pregnant A. Yes, but not in the same way as female mammals do. The female uses something called an ovipositor, an everted egg duct, to insert ripe eggs into00:00 Mon 23rd Apr 2001

Q What happened to the horses in this year's Grand National

A. Red Marauder won the race in appalling conditions a horse named Smarty came second. They were the only ones to finish the race without their jockeys having to remount. Some racing experts later00:00 Fri 13th Apr 2001

Q What is the world's most venomous snake

A. The most venomous snake is the Sea Snake (Hydrophus Belcheri). This snakes' venom is said to be 100 times more powerful than that of any other land or sea snake. The adder is Britain's most00:00 Wed 11th Apr 2001

Where do guinea pigs live in the wild

A. Guinea pigs originate from Central and South America. It was the Incas who first kept them as pets. They still live in the wild in the mountains and grasslands of Central and South America and they00:00 Wed 04th Apr 2001

What s new in the countryside now that it s April

A. Well, spring has sprung, it’s a new month and the government is urging people to return to the countryside as the foot and mouth epidemic shows signs of containment. So The AnswerBank has00:00 Mon 09th Apr 2001

What is a season

A. The year is divided equally into four of them, spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Each season lasts for 3 months and represents changes in temperature, weather and the length of daylight. Q. 00:00 Mon 09th Apr 2001

Why do hares go mad in March

A. March madness is due to the start of the hare's breeding season when this usually inconspicuous animal, the brown hare (Lepus europaeus), suddenly engages in a number of impressive courtship00:00 Mon 09th Apr 2001

What can you tell me about badgers

Now that spring has sprung lets take a look at what the badger is up to at this time of year. Q. Do badgers hibernate A. No, but they do become a lot less active during the winter months. Their00:00 Mon 02nd Apr 2001

Why do locusts swarm

A. Locusts are normally shy, solitary creatures. But in a swarm they become a destructive pest capable of stripping fields of crops in hours. Scientists claim that this dramatic transformation is00:00 Mon 02nd Apr 2001

What s the difference between hair and fur

A. Biologically, they’re actually the same thing. Hair is one of a set of characteristics shared by all mammals. The only real difference is in the pattern of growth: all over if you're a dog00:00 Mon 02nd Apr 2001

What does the human face tell us about our evolution

Henryn recently posted a question asking which part of the human body is the most evolved. To see sabrinah's answer click here. Meanwhile another feature of human evolution is causing a stir in the00:00 Mon 26th Mar 2001

Why are coral reefs in danger

The future of the world's coral reefs is so threatened that the United Nations (UN) is taking drastic action to save them. Q. What is coral A. This question was posted by ATOB2. Click here to00:00 Mon 26th Mar 2001