In keeping with the long and noble tradition of this column, we present the annual Christmas quiz. This year, it's a chance to rate your knowledge of the Yukon environment.

Answer the questions below and check your answers against the list printed upside-down at the bottom of the column. No peeking! All the questions are based on columns printed in 2001 in the Yukon News and available in the archives. You're allowed to peek -- it's called "research."

Add up the number of right answers to determine if you're:

• Expertus yukonensis (9-10)
• Bushwhackus sourdoughii (6-8)
• Urbanitus cheechakis (3-5)
• Touristus migratorius (0-2)

(P.S. Give yourself an extra point just for reading the column -- as a Christmas present from Environment Canada!)

1. When are floods likely to occur in the Yukon?
    
   
   1. In spring, when the snow melts
   2. At Rendezvous, when the beer flows fastest
   3. At any season
   4. When the flood forecasters aren't looking
   
   
2. What does TSP refer to?
    
   
   1. Terrifically Smart People, the readers of yourYukon
   2. Total Suspended Particulates, an indicator of air quality
   3. The Successful Predator, the one that eats the others
   4. Tropical Sun Planning, a preoccupation of Yukoners at this time of year
   
   
3. What are springtails?
    
   
   1. Modified pick-up trucks with extra-large wheels and suspension systems
   2. Small birds that arrive late in the spring migration
   3. A subspecies of muskrat with a corkscrew-shaped tail
   4. Tiny creatures sometimes found feeding on top of the snow
   
   
4. Muck from the bottoms of Yukon lakes can provide information about...
    
   
   1. The prehistoric climate
   2. The quality of water in the lake
   3. The volcanic history of the Yukon
   4. All of the above
   
   
5. How many Yukoners depend on groundwater at least part of the year?
    
   
   1. Only those who don't live near a river or lake
   2. Only those with a water-grinder in their homes
   3. More than 99 percent of all Yukoners
   4. Everyone who has a well
   
   
6. Which is the most abundant amphibian in the Yukon?
    
   
   1. The ruby-eyed fire salamander, which lives in active volcanos
   2. The wood frog, so tough it can freeze solid and survive
   3. The boreal chorus frog, which croaks in four-part harmony
   4. The gold-nugget newt, responsible for a lot of frustrated Klondike miners
   
   
7. What is the Christmas bird count?
    
   
   1. The number of Christmas turkeys sold in Whitehorse supermarkets
   2. A seasonal rap performed by chorus lines of raven
   3. An annual one-day census of birds
   4. 437
   
   
8. What's a treeline emerald?
    
   
   1. A dragonfly found at Old Crow
   2. A gemstone found recently in the central Yukon
   3. A patch of bright green deciduous trees
   4. A shade of green very popular in current fashion circles
   
   
9. How does the snowshoe hare population cycle affect red-backed voles?
    
   
   1. Not even a little bit
   2. When rabbits are plentiful, lynx eat them instead of voles
   3. Hare droppings fertilize berry bushes, increasing the food supply for voles
   4. When there are lots of hares, they crowd out the voles
   
   
10. What are ice wedges?
     
    
    1. Specially-shaped brooms used in broomball
    2. V-shaped masses of ground ice
    3. Classier than ice cubes
    4. Implements used in glacier-climbing
    
    

Have a happy holiday season, from the staff at Environment Canada, Yukon.