It's A Big Deal Trivia Quiz

Answer: Green woodpecker

There are three species of woodpecker native to the United Kingdom. The green woodpecker, the greater spotted woodpecker and the lesser spotted woodpecker. Of these, the green is by far the largest, a fully grown adult being about the size of a magpie.

The greater spotted, a small black white and red bird, is the most common. Both it and the green can be found throughout the country and will often visit large gardens. The greater spotted will happily feed from peanut holders, while the green is more usually found on the ground looking for ants.

The lesser spotted woodpecker is similar-looking to the greater spotted, but is smaller and much less common.

Answer: Heavy horses

The term heavy horses encompasses many breeds of extremely large horse, including Shires, Clydesdales, Suffolk Punch and Percheron. They all used to be seen working the fields in the United Kingdom, as well as pulling all manner of delivery vehicles, but the coming of the tractor drove them from the farms and lorries took over as delivery vehicles.

Many of the breeds became very endangered because of this, and were only kept going by small bands of dedicated enthusiasts. Today, they are always a popular attraction at country shows, and have come into their own again in some types of agriculture. Organic farms use them again, and some vineyards have found they are ideal for working between the rows of vines. Forestry workers use them to pull out cut timber from areas vehicles simply cannot get into.

Answer: Bog Oak

Bog oak is timber that has been preserved in wetlands for centuries. In fossilisation, it is the stage before coal. The wood is typically very dark, often black, but oranges and lighter browns are also found. The colour will reflect the organic compounds in the ground in which it was preserved.

It is very hard and can be used in furniture, decorative sculptures, walking sticks, and just about any form of wood carving. In the United Kingdom, most of it is found in the wet Fenlands area of East Anglia.

Answer: Red deer

The red deer is the largest deer found in the United Kingdom, and is the fourth largest deer species in the world. It can be found from Scotland to Southern England. The stags living wild in the Scottish Highlands are smaller than those found in the south of the country due to the harsher living conditions.

A peak condition stag can weigh as much as 530lbs. They shed their antlers each year, around the end of winter, and a new set starts to grow in the spring. They are not confined to the United Kingdom.

They can be found all over Europe, and as far away as Australia.

Answer: United States of America

American cars of the 1950s were big. They were characterised by lots of chrome, big tail fins and massive bodies. The one shown is a Cadillac, but Chrysler and Buick were also making similar looking cars. Fuel economy in those good old days of cheap petrol was not an issue. You were lucky to get 18mpg on a run from one of these cars, and more typically 10/12mpg driving around town.

Many still survive and are kept running by enthusiasts all over the world. Some are still in use, often as wedding cars; most, however, only come out when the sun shines and there is a classic car show to visit.

Answer: Texas Longhorn

Texas longhorns are well-named. The horns on the bulls typically grow to between six and eight feet, although one bull in Australia has had his horns measured at just over nine feet. They are not the only breed that are noted for their horns. Ankole-Watusi cattle have horns that often grow to around eight feet in length.

While the longhorn usually uses the horns just for scratching itself, the Ankole=Watusi, which is native to Africa, has the large horns for defensive purposes.

Answer: Queen Alexandra's birdwing

Found in Papua New Guinea, the female Queen Alexandra's birdwing has a wingspan of just over twelve inches, and is about three inches long. The males are about a third smaller than the females. All the large butterfly species are found in the tropics. Being cold blooded creatures, they need sunshine and warmth to thrive, and plants to feed on.

The colder northern hemisphere means that their size is more restricted, and the breeding time is limited, in keeping with the resources available. In the tropics, where sun and warmth are far more easily come by, and evergreen foliage provides constant food, they are far more diverse, breed all year round, and grow to much larger sizes.

Answer: The Netherlands

Tulips were massively popular in The Netherlands in the 1600s. Their cultivation was big business for the country, and the bulbs were a luxury item. They were proudly displayed in gardens as individual flowers, not the mass plantings we see now. In the 1630s the mania for having the latest and best bulb reached such a height that single bulbs were selling for a cost that was around ten times the average annual wage.

The bubble burst almost overnight when, at one bulb auction, no buyers appeared. In fact, this was due to an outbreak of bubonic plague in the nearby town, but the fact that there were only sellers, no buyers, led to an immediate collapse in the price.

Answer: Oregon

Discovered in 1998, the Armillaria ostoyae fungus found in the Blue Mountains of Oregon is so large it could cover about 1,665 football fields. By using growth rates, scientists were able to estimate that it is around 2,400 years old. It causes a root disease that kills conifers, and can be seen above ground where it emerges as a type of honey fungus.

Other large varieties of the Armillaria fungi have been found in the US. One in Washington, covering about 1500 hectares, was found in 1992, and another type that does not kill trees was found in Michigan, also in 1992.

Answer: Newfoundland

Bred in Canada, the Newfoundland is noted not only for its giant size but also for its temperament, which is placid and calm. It has a natural swimming ability, a thick double coat to keep it warm in cold water, and webbed feet. These do make marvellous pets, provided you don't mind drool, but care has to be taken to stop them from overheating in hot weather - a quick dip in a lake or the sea is ideal.

In summer they moult heavily; their combed-out undercoat can produce several pounds in weight of fur.

Some dedicated owners have been known to spin this and knit jumpers and scarves with it.