Important Questions for CBSE Class 6 English Honeysuckle Chapter 9 - Desert Animals

A. Very Short Answer Questions:     1 Mark

1. Word – Meaning from the given chapter:

i. Predator

Ans: An animal naturally preying on others.

ii. Forage

Ans: Search for food.

iii. Dodge

Ans: Move quickly to avoid its enemy.

iv. Scorching

Ans: Very hot

2. Fill in the Blanks:

i. Deserts animals cannot survive without _____.

Ans: water

ii. _____ are special features found only in the deserts.

Ans: Sand dunes 

iii. _____ live in the dry, rocky deserts of America.

Ans: Rattlesnakes 

iv. The camel with two humps is known as _____.

Ans: Bactrian camel.

3. True - False:

i. Desserts are the driest places on the earth.

Ans: True

ii. Rattlesnakes kill their prey with venom.

Ans: True

iii. Mongoose prefers to hunt alone.

Ans: False

iv. In the wild, camels live in small groups of up to thirty animals.

Ans: True

4. Match the Following:

Ans:

5. How does the mongoose warn their group while hunting?

Ans: The mongooses use a special alarm call to warn each other when they see something suspicious.

B. Short Answer Question:     2 Marks

1. What is the use of fat in the hump of camels?

Ans: The hump of camels is filled with fat. This hump feeds the camel when there is a dearth of food. Their hump shrinks if they do not eat anything for several days.

2. How do camels survive in hot and cold weather?

Ans: When camels live in the wild, they live in small groups that have thirty animals. In winters, camels are warmed up by their shaggy winter coats. And shorter and tidier coats keep them cool in the summer.

3. How does a mongoose search for its food?

Ans: The mongoose pokes its nose into the openings, overturn rocks with their paws and scratch the bottom with their sharp claws.

4. Name the prey of rattlesnake.

Ans: They feed on a variety of prey, such as voles, mice, rats, chipmunks, and many other tiny animals.

5. Are all deserts, seas of rolling sand dunes?

Ans: No, not all deserts are eternal seas of rolling sand dunes. There are some desserts that are pebbly or rocky and spotted with small bushes while some are speckled with rich flowers during the spring.

C. Short Answer Question:    3 Marks

1. How do gerbils and darkling beetles live in the scorching sun of the desert?

Ans: On the hottest days, gerbils bury themselves underground. Darkling beetles, sometimes known as strange insects, collect drops of moisture on their legs and then hoist them into the air, allowing the drops to fall into their mouths.

2. How does a rattlesnake react when disturbed?

Ans: A rattlesnake when it gets disturbed holds its tail vertical and rattles it, hoping that the intruder will move away. And if the intruder ignores the warnings, it threatens him and is prepared to bite.

3. Why is the mongoose successful in killing snakes without getting hurt?

Ans: The reflex action in mongoose is fast because it dodges itself whenever a snake approaches. Mongoose mocks itself till the snake becomes exhausted and surrenders to the mongoose. This is how the mongoose is successful in killing the snake without getting hurt.

4. What are the different types of camels?

Ans: There are two kinds of camels. One species of the camel is known as Dromedary. They possess only one hump. The other species of the camel is the Bactrian camel that has two humps.

5. How does a mongoose confine in touch with its group while hunting?

Ans: A mongoose keeps in tune with its group while hunting by alarming one another whenever they face any danger from predators like eagles and enormous snakes. They twitter and call whenever they are going out of sight behind the rocks or bushes.

D. Long Answer Question:     5 Marks

1. How does a rattlesnake ‘hear’ things and how does it react to threats?

Ans: A rattlesnake like other snakes, hears vibrations through the ground. It detects the presence or the footsteps of a human but does not detect the shouting or the noise created by humans. Whenever faced with danger or threats, a rattlesnake holds its tail vertical and rattles it, hoping that the intruder will move away. And if the intruder ignores the warnings, it threatens him and is prepared to bite.

2. How are mongoose kittens raised?

Ans: All the female mongooses give birth to the kitten at about the same time. The kittens are raised in a den inside an old termite mount or hollow log, by a whole group. While the male mongooses search for food and some stand as guards that look out for the danger of the hawks, eagles, and larger snakes until the rest of the group returns. The mongooses make an alarm call if they detect anything suspicious.

3. How are camels adapted to desert life?

Ans: Camels get their needed moisture from desert plants. And they are capable of surviving for up to ten months without drinking water.  They contain a hump that is full of fat. Whenever there is a scarcity of food, this hump nourishes the camel. Their hump shrinks if they do not eat anything for several days. The mouth of the camel is so tough that even the sharpest thorn cannot pierce through it. When camels live in the wild, they live in small groups that have thirty animals. In winters, camels are warmed up by their shaggy winter coats. And shorter and tidier coats keep them cool in the summer.

4. Describe the hunting habits of mongooses.

Ans: Mongooses travel in groups of about 20 members. They like to hunt together and keep a lookout for the dangerous predators nearby. Their prey includes beetles, millipedes, and other small creatures. A mongoose keeps in tune with its group while hunting by alarming one another whenever they face any danger from predators like eagles and enormous snakes. They twitter and call whenever they go out of sight behind the rocks or bushes.

5. Write a short note on the rattlesnake.

Ans: Rattlesnakes are one of the most dangerous creatures on earth. It lives in the rocky, dry deserts of America across the American continent from Canada to Argentina. It is called a rattlesnake because it possesses a rattle at its tail. The rattles can be heard as far as thirty meters away. A rattlesnake when disturbed holds its tail vertical and rattles it, hoping that the intruder will move away. And if the intruder ignores the warnings, it threatens him and is ready to bite. Rattlesnakes kill their prey such as chipmunks, rats, voles with venom by swallowing the whole animal. 

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