The AnswerBank Articles

Which dinosaur was the heaviest

reece1 asked this weighty question recently, thanks to rekstout for this answer. A. Unfortunately the answer isn't as easy as 'what was the tallest dinosaur' or 'what was the longest dinosaur'.01:00 Mon 25th Mar 2002

How big is a beluga sturgeon

A. Rekstout was wondering whether tales of 5 metres length and a tonne in weight were just anglers over exaggerating or if there was any substance to such claims. MistyLady did some web searching to01:00 Mon 25th Mar 2002

My pet rabbit is pregnant, how many bunnies are likely to be born

A. A rabbit usually produces between 3 and 9 bunnies in a litter. When they're born they're blind and helpless. Q. How many litters will she produce a year A. Females may produce several litters01:00 Mon 18th Mar 2002

Is it significant that the majority of the Earth's landmasses are in northern hemisphere

A. No, the earth's surface isn't a solid mass; it's made up of plates. These plates move, taking the continents with them. The official term for this is plate tectonics. Consequently the size,01:00 Mon 18th Mar 2002

Which is the most ferocious, a piranha or a great white shark

A. Probably the piranha. They attack with such ferocity that they strip an animal of its flesh completely within a matter of minutes. The attack, which can involve up to 20,000 fish, some of whom01:00 Mon 18th Mar 2002

What are geysers

A. Geysers are very impressive displays of hydrothermal energy. Rainwater or snowmelt seeps through cracks in the ground and meets up with hot underlying rocks. However, despite reaching boiling01:00 Mon 11th Mar 2002

How long is the gestation circle of a dog

This was asked by ouyangz, thanks to artisan for this answer. A. The length of pregnancy, or gestation period, is 61 to 65 days, the average being 63 days from the first day of breeding. Q. How01:00 Mon 11th Mar 2002

Do cats really always land on their feet

A. No, not always and they can sustain nasty injuries falling from even relatively low heights, just in case you were thinking of testing the theory. However they do have an inbuilt sensory01:00 Mon 11th Mar 2002

Is eating meat rather than fish more environmentally friendly

A. Well, to answer Isaacr's question, the oceans do appear to be badly managed and over fished: there are 20 varieties of fish that conservationists want shoppers to avoid buying because of the01:00 Mon 04th Mar 2002

How bear like are pandas

A. Not very, compared to their more typical cousins like grizzly bears. They have a very different diet and make a different noise. Q. How is their diet different A. They're herbivores, unlike01:00 Mon 04th Mar 2002

Is the rhino s horn made of bone

A. No, it's actually an outcrop of compacted hair, and so, like the hair on our heads, is made of keratin. Q. And the rhino's horn is of no medicinal value A. Absolutely none at all, although01:00 Mon 04th Mar 2002

What is loess

Caves cut into loessdeposits in China A. Loess is the name given to wind-blown, glacial silt deposits. Q. What does 'loess' mean A. Loess - pronounced luss - is German and means 'loose' or01:00 Mon 25th Feb 2002

What makes a rattlesnake rattle

A. As incitatus , who answered sabrinah’s question, stated, the rattle is produced by a series of dried, hollow segments of skin, which, when shaken, make a whirring sound. Q. How is the01:00 Mon 25th Feb 2002

Do some animals have bones in their penis

A. Yes they do. The penis bone, os penis, (os is Latin for 'bone'), or baculum, occurs sporadically in the animal kingdom. It is found in insectivores, bats, rodents, carnivores, and pinnipeds, and01:00 Mon 25th Feb 2002

Why do stars twinkle

A. Their famous twinkle is the result of our earth's atmosphere, which, amongst other things, generates turbulence. As the atmosphere broils it bends, or refracts, the light from the star in01:00 Mon 18th Feb 2002

Do fish hear

A. Yes, like all vertebrates fish have sense organs that help them understand their environment, including ears to pick up sounds. Q. Where are their ears A. Fish have an inner ear enclosed in01:00 Mon 18th Feb 2002

Could Tyrannosaurus rex reach his mouth with his arms

A. No, in fact T rex couldn't extend its elbow could not be extended much beyond a 90-degree angle. Q. How long was T rex's arm A. About a metre long, almost the same length as a humans, with01:00 Mon 18th Feb 2002

What s the difference between a German Shepherd dog and an Alsatian

A. Parikrama asked this question recently. As incitatus and ravenhair point out, there is no difference. Q. Why does the same dog have two different names A. Basically the breed originally01:00 Mon 11th Feb 2002

How do trees transport water from their roots to their leaves

A. There are several mechanisms going on here in order for trees, even enormous redwoods that can grow up to 100 metres, to get water from the roots all the way to the top, known as the crown. Q. 01:00 Mon 11th Feb 2002

What s the difference between magma and lava

A. Nothing, they're the same thing. The two different terms are used to distinguish between molten rock that's still beneath the earth's crust: magma, and molten rock that's erupted: lava. Q. How01:00 Mon 11th Feb 2002