Frequently Asked Questions

CLASSIFICATION

Q. How would you classify fungi, lichen and slime moulds?
A. Biologists do not always agree on classification of some unusual organisms. Fungi can be classified in the Plant Kingdom because they have cell walls just as plants do, but they are often placed in their own Kingdom separate from animals, plants and micro-organisms. Lichen and slime moulds are often classified in Kingdom Fungi also.
 
Q. Are there flying snakes?
A. There are snakes which can launch themselves from tall trees, flatten their bodies and glide through the air for some distance. They live mainly in Borneo and Thailand.
 
Q. What’s the difference between a centipede and a millipede?
A. A centipede has one pair of legs on each body segment, but a millipede has two pairs of legs per body segment.
 
Q. How big is the biggest moth on earth?
A. It is the Hercules Moth found in Papua Nuigini, with a wingspan of 28 centimetres.
 
Q. What's the difference between a turtle and a tortoise?
A. A turtle has webbed feet and lives most of the time in the sea. A tortoise does not have webbed feet and lives on land.
 
Q. Jellyfish, starfish and whales are not fish. What type of animals are they?
A. Jellyfish are coelenterates / cnidarians. Starfish are echinoderms. Whales are chordates (mammals).