(GK) Facts: Animals, Birds & Trees

1. The bird which has no wings at allKiwi

2. Which is the flying mammalBat

3. Of major insect groups, which are the only ones with just one pair of wingsFlies

4. What is the name of the animal which has a tongue lower than its bodyChameleon

5. Which food crop has the maximum content of proteinsSoybeans

6. Which flowerless plants found mostly in water and having chlorophyllAlgae

7. The drug which reduces blood pressure is obtained from the root of the plantRauwolfia serpentine

8. The most effective pesticide for general use against most garden pests isMalathion

9. Rows of trees grown along the coastal areas to reduce the impact of Cyclones are called asMangroves

10. Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History is situated atCoimbatore

11. One of the main cause of flood in rivers isDeforestation

12. Animals that creep, are calledReptiles

13. The friend of the farmer isEarthworm

14. The great Indian Bustard is found which Indian stateRajasthan

15. Which of the following animals is a marsupiala. Kangaroo
b. Goat
c. Lion
d. Whale
Ans : A

16. An earthworm hasa. Three eyes
b. No eyes
c. One eye
d. Two eyes
Ans : B

17. Respiration of plants is througha. Arriers
b. Gills
c. Trachea
d. Stomata
Ans : D

18. The best method of control of a soil borne disease is bya. Using fungicides
b. Burning affected plants
c. Crop rotation
d. Seed treatment
Ans : C

19. Animals in a sleeplike dormant state over the winter while living off reserves of body fat, with a decrease in body temperature and pulse rate and slowermetabolism is termed as
Hybernate

20. A period during which the metabolism of certain animals or insects slows down, temporarily suspending their bodily development and growth is termed asDiapause

21. The phenomenon of summer sleep by animals is calledAestivation

22. Which of the following is not obtained from the bark of a treea. Quinine
b. Tannin
c. Cinnamon
d. Bhang
Ans : D

23. Which of the following is not one of the important steps in processing tea leavesa. Rolling
b. Drying
c. Fermenting
d. Withering
Ans : C

24. Which food crop has maximum content of proteinsSoya bean

25. Maximum yield of milk is obtained from ........ variety of cowsRed Sindhi

26. Triticale is the first species of an agricultural crop produced scientifically by humans by crossingWheat and Rye

27. The first man made cereal isTriticale

28. The first species of an agricultural crop produced scientifically by humansTriticale

29. Arabica and Robusta are two main varieties of ........ cultivated in IndiaCoffee

30. Which of the following is not a natural fibrea. Silk
b. Jute
c. Coir
d. Rayon
Ans : D

31. What helps a camel to travel long distances in deserts without food and waterits humps

32. The tallest tree in the world isa. Eucalyptus
b. Mahogany
c. Redwood
d. Teak
Ans : C

33. The resinous shellac is obtained froma. Bark of a tree
b. Distillation of wood
c. Agricultural waste
d. Processing of crude oil
Ans : A

34. Name the respiratory organ of fishGills

35. Which among the following has the maximum lifespana. Eagle
b. Tortoise
c. Tiger
d. Elephant
Ans : B

36. What is arginineAn amino acid obtained by animals from their diet

37. What is the scientific name of Coconut treeCocos nucifera

38. Which crop in Maharashtra is known as ‘White Gold’Cotton

39. Economically the most important forest of Indiaa. Tidal
b. Tropical deciduous forest
c. Thorn forest
d. Evergreen forest
Ans : B

40. Cacti are classic examples ofa. Mesophytes
b. Xerophytes
c. Heliophytes
d. Sciophytes
Ans : B

41. Which of the following is not a Biosphere Reservea. Agasthyamala
b. Panchamarhi
c. Nallamala
d. Nilgiri
Ans : C

42. Transport of food from leaves to other parts of plant is termed asTranslocation

43. The crop which considers frost as its enemya. Rubber
b. Tea
c. Coffee
d. Tobacco
Ans : D

44. The protein of rice grains is of good quality being rich inGliadin

45. The extensive grass lands known as ‘Prairies’ are found inNorth America

46. Which of the following has been found useful in keeping cholesterol level downa. Tulsi
b. Serpentina
c. Turmeric
d. Garlic
Ans : D

47. The only snake that builds a nestKing cobra

48. The characteristic feature of virus isa. It lacks chlorophyll
b. It multiplies only on hosts
c. It multiplies only on dead animals
d. It is made of fats
Ans : B

49. A field or a part of a garden where fruit trees grow, mainly commerciallya. Park
b. Orchard
c. Nursery
d. Yard
Ans : B

50. A place where wild animals livea. Forest
b. Lair
c. Sanctuary
d. Stable
Ans : B

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Posted in: Birds facts , facts , gk

European Robin

The European Robin (Erithacus rubecula) is a small insectivorous passerine bird. It is found in Europe, east to West Siberia and south to North Africa. A fully-grown European Robin is 12.5–14.0 cm (5.0–5.5 in) long and weighs 16–22 g, with a wingspan of 20–22 cm (8–9 in). The European robin is relatively unafraid of people and likes to come close when anyone is digging the soil, in order to look out for earthworms and other food freshly turned up. Because of its high mortality in the first year of its life, it has an average life expectancy of 1.1 years. European Robins approach large wild animals like wild boar which disturb the ground, to look for any food that might be brought to the surface. In autumn and winter, they supplement their usual diet of terrestrial invertebrates, with fruits and berries. They also eat seed mixtures placed on bird-tables.

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Hummingbird

Hummingbirds are small birds that belong to the family Trochilidae. The name 'Hummingbird' is derived from the characteristic 'hum' made a hummingbird's rapid wing beats. Most species of hummingbird have an average length of 7.5–13 cm. Hummingbirds are the only group of birds that can fly backwards. They can hover in mid-air by rapidly flapping their wings 12–90 times per second (depending on the species).

The smallest living species of hummingbird is the Bee Hummingbird. On average, it measures about 5 cm in length and weighs about 1.8 grams. It is indeed the smallest living species of bird.

The average lifespan of a hummingbird varies from species to species. Though many hummingbirds die during their first year of life, especially in the vulnerable period between hatching and leaving the nest, those hummingbirds that survive may live a decade or more. The longest recorded lifespan of a hummingbird in the wild is that of a female Broad-tailed Hummingbird (Selasphorus platycercus) that was banded (ringed) as an adult at least one year old then recaptured 11 years later, making it at least 12 years old. Other longevity records for banded hummingbirds include an estimated minimum age of 10 years 1 month for a female Black-chinned Hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri), and at least 11 years 2 months for a much larger Buff-bellied Hummingbird (Amazilia yucatanensis).

Generally, hummingbirds have bright plumage with marvellous colouration. In many species, the colouring comes from prism-like cells within the top layers of the feathers. When light hits these cells, it is split into wavelengths that reflect to the observer in varying degrees of intensity. The wing structure of a hummingbird acts as a diffraction grating. The result is that, merely by shifting position, a colourless bird will suddenly become colourful. However, not all colours of hummingbird are due to the prism feather structure. The rusty brown color of Allen's Hummingbird (Selasphorus sasin) and Rufous Hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus) are due to pigmentation. Iridescent hummingbird colors actually result from a combination of refraction and pigmentation, since the diffraction structures themselves are made of melanin, a pigment.

Most species of hummingbirds have long and straight bills, but in some species the bill shape is adapted for specialized feeding. Thornbills have short, sharp bills adapted for feeding from flowers. The male Tooth-billed Hummingbird (Androdon aequatorialis) has barracuda-like spikes at the tip of its long, straight bill. The bill of the Fiery-tailed Awlbill (Avocettula recurvirostris) has an upturned tip. The extremely decurved bills of the Sicklebills are adapted for extracting nectar from the curved corollas of flowers in the family Gesneriaceae.

Hummingbirds drink nectar, a sweet liquid inside certain flowers. They have the ability to assess the amount of sugar in the nectar they eat; they reject flower types that produce nectar having less than 10% sugar and prefer those whose sugar content is stronger. Hummingbirds meet their needs for protein, vitamins, minerals, amino acids etc. by preying on insects and spiders as nectar is a poor source of protein.

Hummingbirds spend majority of their time in sitting and perching. They are known to consume nectar twelve times their own body weight each day. They spend an average of 10–15% of their time feeding and 75–80% sitting and digesting.

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Posted in: Amazing facts , Birds facts