Question 1: The largest salt flat in the world is miles above sea level. Where are we?
- Bolivia
- Morocco
- Mongolia
Correct Answer: Bolivia
Fact: The Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia is the world's largest salt flat at about 4,000 square miles, the remains of an ancient lakebed in the Andes mountains. When covered by rainfall, the motionless layer of water turns into the world's biggest mirror.
Question 2: What type of animal uses the Salar de Uyuni as its prime breeding ground?
- Vicunas
- Flamingos
- Rabbits
Correct Answer: Flamingos
Fact: The salt flat is a critical habitat for three species of South American flamingos, who arrive every November at the start of the rainy season to feed on abundant brine shrimp and to breed. The Salar is otherwise mostly devoid of wildlife and vegetation.
Question 3: The brine below the salt flat is rich in what valuable resource?
- Gold
- Lithium
- Silicon
Correct Answer: Lithium
Fact: Bolivia is part of the Lithium Triangle of South America and is believed to possess about 7% of the world's supply of lithium, most of it in the brine solution that forms the bed of the Salar.
Question 4: The muskox is named for its…
- Curled horns
- Strong smell
- Sturdy build
Correct Answer: Strong smell
Fact: During mating season, male muskoxen emit a strong and peculiar odor from glands under their eyes. Somehow this rank smell attracts female muskoxen….
Question 5: What is yarn made from muskox fur called?
- Qiviut
- Mohair
- Ermine
Correct Answer: Qiviut
Fact: Muskoxen have a thick undercoat of soft fur called qiviut that's spun into yarn. A heavy outer layer of guard wool repels moisture, so the inner coat stays warm and dry. Guess you can't dress too warmly if you spend winters in the far north.
Question 6: What’s on the muskox menu for dinner?
- Grasses, moss, and shrubs
- Freshwater fish
- Rodents
Correct Answer: Grasses, moss, and shrubs
Fact: Muskoxen are herbivores and love to eat mosses, grasses, little shrubs, lichens, and Arctic willows, all of which can withstand the frigid Northern winters. Since digging in snow to find food burns up a lot of energy, they try to avoid areas of deep snow during the winter.