Mammals Chapter Quiz 2.5 - 2.7

Scientists call dogs, domestic or wild, (a)   and refer to cats as (b)   .

• carnivores

• purebreds

• canines

• felines

Answer explanation

More than 40 million domestic cats are kept as pets in the U.S., making them the second most popular pet.

Identify each wild dog by its description.

• Wolf

• Stalks its prey (prized for fur and hunted for sport, but cunning in avoiding being captured)

• Artic fox

• Lives in a clan (that usually consists of a male, female, and pups plus single young coyote or nanny)

• Coyote

• Has a white coat and has very small ears (valued for fur and doesn't waste heat or get frostbitten in winter)

• Red Fox

• Lives in a pack (8-20 members usually all from one family and led by a dominant male)

Dogs, cats, bears, raccoons, and weasels are just some of the mammals that belong to the order of mammals called (a)   , or flesh-eaters.

• carnivores

• herbivores

• omnivores

• insectivores

A dog has sweat glands in (a)   only.

• the pads of its feet

• its nose

• its tongue

Answer explanation

Instead of sweating, a dog pants, taking in large amounts of air, in order to cool down its body.

🔶 A (a)   is an animal whose mother and father are of the same breed.

🔶 The ability to learn a behavior pattern is called (b)   .

🔶 An inherited behavior pattern, one with which the animal is born, is called (c)   .

🔶 A dog's topcoat of longer, stiffer hairs called (d)   protects the undercoat and gives the coat shape and texture.

• purebred
• intelligence
• instinct
• guard hairs
• newbreed

• guard coat

Identify each wild cat by its description.

• Jaguars and Leopards

• Spotted cats

• Bobcat

• Smaller than a lynx

• Cheetah

• The fastest land animal on Earth

• Tiger

• The largest cat in the Americas

• Jaguar

• The longest cat

Which wild cat is often called the "king of the beasts" because it's one of the strongest predators alive?

• 
• 
• 
• 

Answer explanation

The lion is the only cat with a mane and a tuft of fur at the end of its tail.

Match the following cat features to the correct description.

• Whiskers

• Helps cats determine whether they can pass through narrow openings to sneak up on their prey

• Retractile claws

• Helps cats walk silently

• Padded feet

• Used for grooming and licking meat from bones

• Eyeshine

• Helps cats hunt and see better in the dark; a special mirrorlike structure which reflects light and produces the glow

• Rough tongue

• Can be pulled back into a protective space when not in use to prevent them from wearing out

Answer explanation

A cat has padded feet in order to help it walk silently, and retractile front claws. This allows the cat to stalk (sneak up on) its prey and then pounce upon it when the cat gets close enough. Claws ae important to a cat, helping it to catch prey, defend itself, and climb.

🐱 Cats have excellent hearing because their ears have (a)   muscles that move them into a variety of positions.

🐱 Cats communicate using as many as (b)   sounds, ranging from soft meowing to loud screaming.

• 30

• 60

• 40

Answer explanation

🐈A cat can move one ear without moving the other and can do so without moving its head or any other part of its body.

😺Cats, domestic and wild, purr when they are happy or content, and sometimes they purr when sick or injured. They purr by rubbing together the vocal cords in their throat.

What animal is the only domestic mammal that is not social?

• Rabbit
• Cat
• Dog
• Guinea Pig

Answer explanation

🐱 Domestic cats are intelligent animals that can be trained to perform simple tasks and obey certain commands. Even large wild cats can be trained to perform.

🐈 Cats are independent by nature; it takes a great deal of patience on the part of the owner to train a cat.