Ralph's Outback Adventure Trivia Quiz

Answer: Desert

Deserts are ecosystems in which the interactions of living things with their environment are primarily governed by the fact that they are dry. This means that evaporation exceeds rainfall, at least most of the time. Australia's deserts are considered hot deserts, as they are characterised by high daytime temperatures, and much cooler temperatures during the night. Depending on exactly how you define a desert region, between a fifth and a half of Australia is covered by desert, including the Simpson desert shown in the image.

Answer: Dromedaries

The first dromedaries arrived in Australia in 1840. Another large batch were imported in 1860 for the use of the explorers Burke and Wills on their doomed attempt to cross central Australia from south to north. Breeding farms were established to supplement imports (which amounted to over 10,000 before they stopped in 1907) that operated until the introduction of cars and aircraft provided a viable alternative for covering large distances. The shift from camels to motorized transport led to the release of large numbers of camels to fend for themselves. They have since survived wonderfully well, being well adapted for survival in arid regions, and are considered a pest species because they place undue competition on native species during dry times.

A few Bactrian camels were also imported from China, but the vast majority of Australian feral camels are dromedaries.

Answer: Sturt's desert pea

Sturt's desert pea, or Swainsona formosa, to use its formal name, is one of Australia's best-known desert plants. Its very hard seed coating, which means the seed can survive for years waiting to germinate, makes it hard to grow domestically, since the outer coating needs to be removed in some way. The seedlings develop deep taproots, common for desert plants, as this allows them to access underground water, rather than being confined to the dry soil near the arid surface.

Pink heath is the floral emblem of Victoria, the waratah is that of New South Wales, and the red-and-green kangaroo paw of Western Australia.

Answer: Goanna

All four of these types of lizard are found in Australia, but goanna is the name usually given to monitor lizards. The perentie is the world's fourth-largest monitor lizard, but it is not one of the more familiar members of Australia's fauna, both because it inhabits regions where people rarely go, and because of its highly reclusive nature.

It lives in rocky areas, where it lies in ambush for its prey, which generally consists of insects and small birds and mammals. A large perentie can even down a small kangaroo!

Answer: Spinifex

The spinifex is a genus of coastal plant, but the name is also applied to several members of the Triodia genus common in the Outback. The image in the photo was of Triodia basedowii, one of the more common of the fifty-plus species. Its spiky leaves are indigestible to most animals (termites excepted), so it tends to crowd out other plants which are more susceptible to being grazed. Each shoot has its own root, often extending over 3 metres downwards.

The widespread presence of spinifex is a significant contribution to the stabilisation of the desert soil.

The tussocks also provide shelter to many of the small animals that live in the desert areas.

Answer: True

Nocturnal activity helps bilbies avoid the heat of the day, and reduces their need for water. They usually can get all the water they need from their food, which consists primarily of seeds, fruits and insects. They gather their food by digging in the soil, which they do quite a lot, since they like to have multiple burrows at their disposal.

Like many other species in the world, the bilby's survival is under pressure due to habitat loss and feral predation. One species, the lesser bilby, became extinct in the 1950s, and the greater bilby is considered endangered. The campaign for the Easter Bilby (chocolate ones available in many supermarkets) is intended both to raise public awareness of their plight, and to raise funds to support efforts to preserve and protect them.

Answer: Thermal insulation

Thorny dragons, also called thorny devils, use their color to blend into their surroundings. While most are colored in shades of brown, there can be quite a lot of variety, as they tend to have the same color range as the area in which they are found.

Some are more red and purple than brown, but all have spines that make their shape resemble the rocks among which they are found. These spines are arranged in ridges so that water that falls on the lizard's back drains down to its mouth, rather than just draining randomly. And, of course, they look formidable when viewed by predators! There is a swollen area on the top of the thorny devil's neck which resembles a second head.

When it feels threatened, it hides its head between its front legs, and presents the pseudo-head (with no vulnerable eyes) to the predator in an effort to discourage it.

Answer: Acacia

The mulga, Acacia aneura, can be any size from a small shrub to a reasonably large tree, up to 15 metres in height. There is so much variation that it is likely to be reclassified into several species at some time - taxonomists are constantly revising their classifications, so any statement about taxonomy is subject to change. Mulgas typically live for several hundred years, growing slowly during wet times, and becoming virtually dormant in dry years.

The mulga shows a number of common adaptations for desert survival. Its needle-like leaves grow nearly vertically, which not only allows water to drain down them to be collected by the plant's roots, but also reduces exposure to the hottest sunlight, and exposes the flat surfaces to the morning and evening sunlight. The leaves are thick-skinned and oily, with their stomata set deep; all of these features help to reduce water loss through transpiration. The roots contain nitrogen-fixing bacteria, such as are also found in legumes, which help mulgas survive in the nitrogen-deficient soils where they are found.

The pine (Pinus), oak (Quercus) and elm (Ulmus) are not commonly found in Australian desert areas.

Answer: Red kangaroo

The red kangaroo is the largest of the kangaroos, and indeed of all marsupials. They are nocturnal and crepuscular (active between dusk and dawn), spending most of the day resting in whatever shade they can find. They eat grasses when possible, but will also eat shrubs and bushes in dry seasons. Their kidneys are adapted to concentrate their urine, reducing water loss. An adult red kangaroo has little to fear from predators due to its size and defensive capabilities, but younger ones can be victims of predation, and are protected by spending long periods of time in their mother's pouch even when they are sufficiently developed to be able to manage on their own.

The eastern grey and western grey kangaroos are found in the coastal regions suggested by their names, while the antilopine kangaroo lives in the north. All three of these species are found in grassland and woodland areas, and are actually more commonly seen than the red kangaroo, because they live near the bulk of the Australian population.

Answer: Dingo

The dingo, Canis lupus dingo, belongs to the same species as the domestic dog, Canis lupus familiaris, but is classed as a different subspecies. They appear to have originated in China or in India, and are thought to have arrived in Australia between 4,000 and 18,000 years ago - not a very precise timeline. As an apex predator, early dingoes would have been in competition with the thylacine (also known as the Tasmanian tiger due to its striped coat), and appear to have displaced them on the mainland about 2000 years ago.

Since most of their prey are active at dusk and dawn, that is when the dingo normally hunts. While they do prey on kangaroos, it takes a pack to bring down an adult red kangaroo, and an individual dingo is more likely to score a rabbit for dinner. As an apex predator, dingoes play an important role in maintaining the balance of species, especially in the control of feral animals and introduced species.

The dhole is a wild dog found in India, a totally different species from true dogs. The bush dog, found in South America, and the raccoon dog, found in East Asia, are even less closely related to domestic dogs.