Lesson 2

Question 1

What characteristics do mammals have?

Answer 1

Mammals have vertebrae, are endothermic, breathe oxygen from the air, nurse their young with mother’s milk, and have hair.

Question 2

How can you tell the skull of a mammal from the skull of a reptile?

Answer 2

Mammals have a lower jaw made of only one bone, while the lower jaw of a reptile is made up of several bones. Also, in reptiles, the joint that connects the lower jawbone allows it to open & close only. In mammals, that joint allows it to not only open & close, but also move from side to side.

Question 3

Which sense does a dog use the most?

Answer 3

It uses its sense of smell most.

Question 4

What are some of the ways dogs communicate?

Answer 4

Dogs communicate with scent, body postures, and facial expressions.

Question 5

What four major kinds of teeth do mammals have?

Answer 5

incisors, canines, premolars, molars

Question 6

How many of each gene do you have?

Answer 6

two of each gene

Question 7

Where did you get your genes?

Answer 7

One from your mother & one from your father

Question 8

If a gene is recessive, what does that mean?

Answer 8

it means the gene will be masked by the dominant gene if it is present.

Question 9

How does a pack of dogs usually hunt prey?

Answer 9

They work to separate one straggler from the rest, and they chase it until it falls.

Question 10

What do we call the male leader of a pack?

Answer 10

the alpha male

Question 11

What do we call the female leader of a pack?

Answer 11

the alpha female

Question 12

Why are wolves so rare today?

Answer 12

They have been hunted almost to extinction & squeezed out by cities.

Question 13

What is a digitigrade?

Answer 13

An animal that walks on its toes

Question 14

This type of gene will win; its information will be used

Answer 14

dominant

Question 15

The form in which DNA stores information

Answer 15

genes

Question 16

A molecule that exists in every living creature and stores information that helps the creature be what it is supposed to be

Answer 16

DNA

Question 17

Glands that produce and release a water-based mixture we call sweat

Answer 17

sweat glands

Question 18

the outer layer of skin that has hair on it

Answer 18

epidermis

Question 19

a carnivore’s molars and premolars that are specially designed to cut meat

Answer 19

carnassial teeth

Question 20

mammals’ teeth used for grinding, right behind the canine teeth

Answer 20

premolars

Question 21

mammals’ teeth used for tearing and gripping

Answer 21

canines

Question 22

a group on order Carnivora that contains dog-like animals

Answer 22

caniforms

Question 23

organs in the body that make and release chemicals

Answer 23

glands

Question 24

mammals’ teeth used for cutting

Answer 24

incisors

Question 25

an order in the animal kingdom that contains many of the ferocious predators

Answer 25

carnivora

Question 26

mammals' teeth (in the very back of the mouth) used for grinding

Answer 26

molars

Question 27

the layer of skin under the epidermis; it gets bruised and bleeds

Answer 27

dermis

Question 28

this gene will not be used when the dominant gene is present

Answer 28

recessive

Question 29

glands that release odors

Answer 29

scent glands

Question 30

a group in order Carnivora that contains cat-like animals

Answer 30

feliforms

Question 31

to break down food so it can be turned into energy

Answer 31

digest

Question 32

A species of wolf that is thriving. They are night hunters & are often alone.

Answer 32

Coyotes

Question 33

Organs of smell

Answer 33

olfactory organs

Question 34

Living only in Japan, this dog looks like a large raccoon.

Answer 34

Raccoon dog

Question 35

A type of canine. They have been pests for livestock farmers & a source of fear for travelers at night.

Answer 35

Wolves

Question 36

A fox that lives in the arctic regions of the northern hemisphere.

Answer 36

Arctic Fox

Question 37

A canine that is very social and is often called the "painted wolf."

Answer 37

African Wild Dog

Question 38

The two leaders (female & male) in a group of animals.

Answer 38

dominant pair

Question 39

Australian canines that were once pet dogs owned by Indonesian traders who fished in the waters of Australia thousands of years ago.

Answer 39

Dingoes

Question 40

When an animal changes its diet to fit changes in its surroundings we call it an _________ feeder.

Answer 40

opportunistic

Question 41

An opportunistic omnivore that can live in cities. it looks like a small wolf with really big ears.

Answer 41

Jackals

Question 42

An opportunistic canine that can eat anything, although it prefers small animals.

Answer 42

Red Fox