Yours Truly, the March Hare Trivia Quiz

Answer: They engage in boxing matches

The usually reserved, solitary European brown hare is a native resident of much of Europe and western Asia, but has been brought to many other parts of the world as well. These herbivorous hares make their home in open country. The reputation of spring madness came when they were seen acting in an unusual manner, such as boxing with each other.

But contrary to initial belief, it usually isn't the males fighting for dominance, but the female giving her would-be suitor a work over! And so emerged the saying made famous by author Lewis Carroll, "mad as a March hare."

Answer: Small head

You most likely have Pliny the Elder to thank for starting the myth in the first century that ostriches attempt to hide by plunging their heads into the sand. While the ostrich's habit of feeding off the ground does give that appearance due to its small head, it prefers to hide by flattening itself against the ground and using its coloration to blend in with the sand.

The largest known bird in the world, some reaching upwards of 9 ft. (2.7 m) tall and 350 lbs. (159 kg), the flightless ostrich is indigenous to Africa.

Answer: No

The elephant's sizable brain, the largest among land animals, and its high rate of development enable these remarkable feats of memory, which are a key aid to survival for these pachyderms. For instance, an older matriarch can remember bad experiences, such as a drought, from decades earlier, ensuring a better outcome for her herd when faced with a similar situation. Elephant herds are matriarchal in nature, and are led by the more experienced older females.

Although their brain is smaller, the more interactive role played by females usually endows them with better memories than the males and a high degree of intelligence.

Answer: Their lacrimal glands are activated when eating

The expression, "crocodile tears" (meaning an insincere display of emotion), originated around the 15th century when it was observed that crocs "wept" as they ate, seemingly mourning their meal. This, of course, isn't true. Crocodiles don't actually cry, but they do have lacrimal glands to lubricate and protect their eyes.

While no sure explanation can be provided, it has been proven that crocodiles do get moist-eyed when they eat; this may be due to the exertion with which they dig in to their meal, pushing air into the sinuses that stimulates the lacrimal glands. You would not often see any "tears," though, unless the croc had been out of the water for some time.

Answer: Joeys

Opossums - they're hardly the world's most attractive creature, but are unique in that they are the only marsupial native to the North American continent. They do sport a prehensile tail that aids in tree climbing and grasping, but the adults (called jacks and jills) are too heavy to dangle from a branch.

Their young, joeys, can hang upside-down for a few seconds, but this is not everyday behavior for an opossum. Captain John Smith is said to have named this creature in 1608 after the Algonquin Indian word, "apasum" ("white animal").

Answer: Hippopotamus

The hippopotamus is the third heaviest land mammal, yet it can reach speeds of 30 mph (50 km/h) for short distances. Though they may seem awkward on land, hippos are surprisingly graceful in the lakes and rivers of Africa, which provide them with a respite from the day's heat.

These large creatures are herbivorous, but display highly aggressive tendencies and number among the most dangerous animals on the African continent. It is estimated that hippopotamuses are responsible for at least 200 human deaths per year.

Answer: False

The Internet would tell you that the Audubon Society Magazine printed a piece reporting that pilots, flying over the Falkland Islands, saw large groups of penguins below turning their heads to watch the planes, so fascinated that they'd fall over backwards when the planes flew overhead.

This myth started with pilots who served in the 1982 Falklands War. In truth, penguins do not like the sound of planes and attempt to get away from aircraft! The British Antarctic Survey proved this story's status as an urban legend during a 2000-01 research mission, when not a single king penguin fell over in the presence of overhead aircraft.

Answer: Male calicos are the result of a genetic abnormality

It is true that the majority of tortoiseshell and calico cats are female since that pattern requires two X chromosomes, but about 1 in 3,000 male cats have an extra chromosome that gives them a tortoiseshell coat. This chromosome disorder is known as Klinefelter's syndrome (in animals and humans), and leaves virtually all affected males sterile. Myth would also have it that all orange cats are male; however, this coat color is determined by the O gene, and if both of a female cat's X chromosomes have this gene she will be orange.

Answer: Texas salamander

The cave-dwelling Texas blind salamander has been found only in the waters of the Edwards Aquifer in the San Marcos, Texas, area. Its underground habitat and perpetually dark environment make sight unnecessary for the translucent, 5" (12.7 cm) long amphibian.

The Texas blind salamander and six more of the Edwards Aquifer's 40 aquatic inhabitants are on the Endangered Species list, their native waters threatened by a growing population of humans, drought, and pollution.

Answer: Oval-shaped red blood cells

Instead of having their fat distributed throughout the body like a human's, a camel's fat - up to 80 pounds (36 kg) of it - is stored solely in its hump (Arabian camels have one hump; Bactrian camels have two). This enables them to survive for weeks in their home deserts without food.

The unusually shaped red blood cells are a key factor in avoiding dehydration; they are able to continue flowing without a regular intake of fluid. The camel is also a natural conserver of water, seldom producing sweat.

When camels do find a water source, they make the best use of it: a camel can take in 30 gallons (113 l) of water in a mere 13 minutes!