At Home in the Cold Trivia Quiz

Answer: Arctic fox

Arctic foxes live around the Arctic Circle. They are nomadic. Food is often scarce so they roam over a very large range. Their diet consists mostly of voles, lemmings and rodents but they will also eat plants.

Answer: Caribou

Caribous are also known as reindeer. They are related to moose. Caribou are very fast runners and can reach speeds of 60-80 km/h. The main food source for caribou is arboreal lichen.

Answer: Emperor penguin

There are 17 species of penguins. The male emperor penguin is the one that incubates the egg while the female returns to sea to feed. The male does not eat for more than two months during which time he protects the egg from extreme cold. Male emperor penguins lose about 12 kg while they wait for their chicks to hatch.

Answer: Polar bear

Polar bears are almost completely carnivorous. They can swim up to fifty miles without stopping. All polar bears are left handed. Mother polar bears give birth to their cubs in the winter in underground snow dens.

Answer: Snowy owl

The snowy owl's beautiful white plumage helps to hide it in its Arctic habitat. Unlike their male counterparts the females are not completely white as they have spots on their wings. The chicks are dark and spotted.

Lemmings are the favourite food of snowy owls but their diet is sometimes supplemented by rabbits, rodents, birds and fish.

Answer: Walrus

In the wild a walrus can live up to thirty years. Walruses feed on shrimps, clams, crabs and other sea creatures. The polar bear and the killer whale are the only two natural predators of the walrus because of its great size and tusks.

Answer: Coyote

Coyotes can run up to thirty miles per hour and can jump up to 14 feet high. They are able to run on tiptoes to reduce sound.

Answer: Seal

Seals are not as fast as dolphins in the water but they are more agile and flexible. The milk of a mother seal is 45% fat which helps the seal pups to build up their layer of protective blubber.

Answer: Arctic wolf

This wolf lives in the Arctic regions of North America and Greenland. Its location protects it from hunters and habitat destruction. As a result it is the only species of wolf that is not threatened. The greatest threat to the Arctic wolf may be climate change.

Answer: Snowshoe hare

The snowshoe hare is a nocturnal creature which does not hibernate. During the summer its hair is rusty brown but it turns white in the winter. Its feet prevent it from sinking into the snow while hopping or walking. The fur on the soles of its feet protects it from freezing temperatures.