Question

Which of the following adaptations helps alpine animals survive the cold winter?
a.
reduced lung size
b.
low levels of hemoglobin
c.
hibernation
d.
large legs, ears, and tails

Answer 1

c. hibernation

Hibernation conserves energy and reduces metabolic rate during long, cold winters when food is scarce. The other choices are disadvantageous for cold/high-altitude environments: reduced lung size and low hemoglobin would impair oxygen uptake (alpine animals tend to have larger lungs and/or more hemoglobin), and large legs/ears/tails increase heat loss (cold-adapted animals usually have smaller extremities per Allen’s rule).