National Geographic Explorer (Student Magazine)

Background: People call Alaska the Great Land, and it's definitely a great place for wildlife. Parks and wildlife refuges make up a third of the largest state. As a result, Alaska boasts awesome numbers of truly cool creatures.

Directions: Print out this page (or get a copy from your teacher). Go to the address below. Click "Wildlife" in the red bar to come face-to-fur with Alaskan animals. Then circle the letter in front of the question that goes with each answer.

Web Address: www.nationalgeographic.com/greatland/ax/primary_fs.html

1. ANSWER: 2

a. How many days are there in an Alaskan winter?

b. How many air sacs does a Pacific walrus have in its neck?

c. How many bald eagles live in Alaska?

2. ANSWER: 8 feet

a. What's the wingspan of a trumpeter swan?

b. How long is a female humpback?

c. How far is Alaska from Hawaii?

3. ANSWER: 15 inches

a. How far do caribou migrate each year?

b. How tall is the average Alaskan tree?

c. How long is the tail of an arctic fox?

4. ANSWER: 34

a. How many wolves are in a pack?

b. How many musk oxen were moved to Alaska in the 1930s?

c. How many people live in Alaska?

5. ANSWER: 40 miles

a. How long is a beluga whale?

b. How far might wolves travel in a day of hunting?

c. How far does the arctic tern migrate?

6. ANSWER: 49 feet

a. How long is a female humpback?

b. How tall is the horned puffin?

c. How far can a snowmobile go in an hour?

7. ANSWER: 90 pounds

a. How much does a willow ptarmigan weigh?

b. How much can an Alaskan brown bear eat in a day?

c. How much does Miss Alaska weigh?

8. ANSWER 1,600 miles

a. How far does the average Alaskan drive to work?

b. How far do bald eagles migrate?

c. How far do caribou migrate?

9. ANSWER: 2,400 pounds

a. What’s the top weight of a Steller sea lion?

b. How much ice cream do Alaskans eat each year?

c. What's the average weight of a musk ox?

10. ANSWER: 22,000

a. How many years has Alaska been a state?

b. How many caribou herds does Alaska have?

c. How many miles does an arctic tern fly each year?

Teachers and students may make copies of this page to complete as a classroom assignment.