Why do ladybirds have spots and why do we get bruises? Try our kids’ quiz

Illustration: Hennie Haworth/The Guardian

1. Blythe, 7, asks: why do ladybirds have spots on their backs?

   1. To show how old they are

   2. To make them look attractive so they find a mate

   3. To make them look yucky

   4. To identify them, as each ladybird has a unique spot pattern

2. Billy, 6, asks: how hot is the Earth’s core?

   1. Between 12,000C and 14,300C

   2. Between 4,400C and 6,000C

   3. Between 300C and 370C

   4. Between 80C and 120C

3. Rosalind, 8, asks: what is the Latin name for a red fox?

   1. Orange Tail

   2. Vulpes Lagopus

   3. Rufus Vulpes

   4. Vulpes Vulpes

4. Jane, 7, asks: what animals, if any, don’t have a skeleton?

   1. Mammals

   2. Animals called invertebrates which don’t have an exoskeleton

   3. Invertebrates which do have an exoskeleton

   4. Animals called vertebrates without an exoskeleton

5. Tabitha, 10, asks: why do we get bruises when we fall over?

   1. Because some of our veins burst

   2. To show us where we fell over and hurt ourselves, so we don’t do the same thing again

   3. Because all the cells that rush over to help with the pain are blue

   4. So that we can show our friends how brave we have been

Solutions

1:C - Ladybird spots are there to protect them by making them look yucky to predators. The spots indicate that they will taste unpleasant and could be poisonous., 2:B - The Earth’s core is a mind-boggling 4,400C to 6,000C – 6,000C is the same temperature as the surface of the sun., 3:D - The Latin name for a red fox is Vulpes Vulpes, which technically means “fox fox”!, 4:B - Animals without backbones are called invertebrates. Some of these have things called exoskeletons, which are external skeletons that support their bodies, such as spiders, crabs and scorpions. Others don’t have any skeletons at all, like jellyfish, worms and slugs. Invertebrates are the largest group in the animal kingdom, making up 97% of all species!, 5:A - Sometimes when we fall over, small veins and even tinier ones, called capillaries, under the skin burst. Blood then leaks out but remains under the skin and this looks bluish, purplish, reddish or blackish from the outside.

Scores

1. 5 and above.

2. 4 and above.

3. 3 and above.

4. 2 and above.

5. 0 and above.

6. 1 and above.

Molly Oldfield hosts Everything Under the Sun, a weekly podcast answering children’s questions, out now as a book.

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