It is possible to roughly determine an animal's caloric requirements by knowing:

• A. age only
• B. bodyweight
• C. color pattern
• D. habitat type

Answer: (B)

Caloric needs scale with body size, so body weight is the most direct and reliable single predictor for rough estimates. In wildlife and rehab work, daily energy requirements are commonly estimated from weight because maintenance energy rises as an animal’s mass increases, reflecting the energy needed to sustain tissues, thermoregulation, and movement. While age, habitat, and other factors can modulate needs, none provide as consistent a single predictor as weight does across species. Color pattern has no bearing on energy requirements, and habitat type can influence activity but doesn’t offer a straightforward, universal estimate like weight does.