Time again for our occasional pop quiz about the natural wonders of this city and state. Answers after the questions. Good luck!
1. Which other state also claims the mountain bluebird as its state bird?
(a) Montana (b) Wyoming (c) Idaho (d) Florida
2. What does the prestigious Cornell bird lab suggest we do about the above?
(a) Continue sharing the bluebird (b) Adopt the sagebrush sparrow instead (c) Adopt the calliope hummingbird instead (d) Challenge the other state to a bird-off
3. Near Caliente is a fossil deposit with what are believed to be the oldest specimens — 250 million years old — of what creature?
(a) Ichthyosaur (b) Wooly mammoth (c) Lounge lizards (d) Trilobites
4. Which of the following isn’t the actual name of a local cactus species?
(a) Stinging Pete prickly pear (b) Teddy bear cholla (c) Jumping cholla (d) Scarlet hedgehog cactus
5. Enough wild turkeys live in Nevada to warrant hunting seasons in the spring — including out near Moapa. Are they native to the state?
(a) Yes (b) No (c) We talking about the bird or the bourbon?
6. The only place in North America to find a Virgin Valley black fire opal is in a remote corner of Nevada. It’s so rare because …
(a) It required an unusual combination of ancient volcanic elements (b) It occurs in small, unpredictable veins (c) It only formed inside prehistoric wood
Answers
1. (c) 2. (b) See their logic here. 3. (d) 4. (a) Stinging Pete would be a good band name, however. 5. (b) They were introduced in Nevada in 1960. 6. (c) It’s also the state gemstone.
