The AnswerBank Articles

How and why do cats purr

How and why do cats purr, asked Cardiac. Thanks to DrPig for this answer. The AnswerBank investigates further. Q. How do cats produce a purring noise A. Experiments have shown that01:00 Mon 05th Mar 2001

Mythical animals, do they really exist

Dempster recently asked whether the Loch Ness monster really existed. The question got us at The AnswerBank thinking about mythical creatures from the natural world. Is there any evidence that they01:00 Mon 05th Mar 2001

Tell me about the basking shark

A. Unlike the more famous great whites, basking sharks are harmless and are often described as the gentle giants of the sea. They feed only on plankton, which they catch by swimming along with their01:00 Mon 05th Mar 2001

How do whales and dolphins respond to captivity

by Lisa Cardy A RECENT question from fizz asked what happened to the killer whale at Windsor Safari Park. The answer, posted by Henryn, revealed that Winnie, as she was called, had to be sold to01:00 Mon 26th Feb 2001

How do I train my new puppy

by Lisa Cardy A NEW puppy can be enormous fun. But they're also mischievous and need training to avoid growing into a difficult dog. Here are some key points to help you train your puppy. How do01:00 Mon 26th Feb 2001

Why do endangered fish need park protection

by Lisa Cardy Is any sealife at risk of extinction Many species of fish and other marine animals could become extinct unless they are protected by special reserves. What is being done to protect01:00 Mon 26th Feb 2001

Sabrinah asked: How marine mammals avoid 'the bends

by Lisa Cardy SABRINAH wanted to know why marine mammals, such as whales, don't get the 'bends'. Here The AnswerBank provides a detailed explanation: Marine mammals, which evolved on land and01:00 Mon 19th Feb 2001

Pearls: Nature's precious gem

by Lisa Cardy PEARLS have a long history of being prized by humans. They form naturally in oysters when a foreign object, such as a parasite or grain of sand, becomes lodged in the animal's soft01:00 Mon 19th Feb 2001

Your questions and answers

by Lisa Cardy IT'S something you should tell your best friend, especially if it's mans best friend: how do you cure bad dog breath Hgoldup and Maggie had some refreshing suggestions for silver,01:00 Mon 12th Feb 2001

T rex is back

by Lisa Cardy Press AssociationTYRANNOSAURUS rex is being brought back to life: at The Natural History Museum in London. The animatronics animal is almost too close to the real thing for comfort.01:00 Mon 12th Feb 2001

Ancient origin of song

by Lisa Cardy NEXT time you're out in your garden listen closely to the birds singing, is it a tune you recognise When whales, birds and humans all sing they do so in a very similar way,01:00 Mon 12th Feb 2001

England s green and very pleasant National Parks

by Lisa Cardy SAY 'National Parks' to most people and they usually think of the outdoors of North America. But there are 11 outstanding National Parks right here in Britain, all within easy01:00 Mon 05th Feb 2001

Naturally, you ask away

by Lisa Cardy IT'S been a week of extremes at The AnswerBank. You all wanted to know, what's the oldest, the slowest, and the biggest. Silver wanted to know which species of fish lived the01:00 Mon 05th Feb 2001

A pet a day keeps the doctor away

by Lisa Cardy DOGS really are mans' best friend, along with cats and reptiles. Staff in hospitals, day-care centres and special schools are harnessing the therapeutic power of animals for treating01:00 Mon 05th Feb 2001

The natural world explained by you

by Lisa Cardy THE natural world certainly has some puzzling features and this is clear from some recent questions posed by you. We all have them but we don't all need them Maybe their ubiquity01:00 Mon 29th Jan 2001

Darwin's 'Eden' under threat

By Lisa Cardy The Galapagos Islands are regarded by scientists as one of the most precious habitats on Earth. Nearly all of its reptiles and half of its insects and birds cannot be found anywhere01:00 Mon 29th Jan 2001

Rare bears ripped apart for sport

by Lisa Cardy THERE are only 300 Asiatic bears left in the wild and they are being torn to pieces by dogs for spectator 'sport' in rural areas of Pakistan. The country made bear baiting illegal two01:00 Mon 29th Jan 2001

Discovery of new planets baffles scientists

by Lisa Cardy PLANETARY science has been rocked by the discovery of something that shouldn't exist. A gargantuan 'planet' has frightened experts who thought that they had Mother Nature all worked01:00 Mon 22nd Jan 2001

Rats tales

By Christina Okoli WANTED TO RENT A cosy corner of your home throughout the winter months for a rapidly-growing family of vermin. SCRAPS of fast food, litter, floods, mild weather and decaying01:00 Tue 16th Jan 2001

Bush fires up Arctic oil debate

by Lisa Cardy PRESIDENT Clinton has used his final hours at the WhiteHouse to limit oil exporation in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska. The untouched environment providing a haven01:00 Wed 10th Jan 2001