Gifts of the Earth: Ungulates Trivia Quiz

Answer: Snowshoe rabbit

Even though the snowshoe rabbit (aka the snowshoe hare) may look like a hyrax, its feet are fleshy, not hoofed. The other three are types of ungulates found in Africa. (question by babsr)

Answer: True

Although llamas and alpacas appear to be indigenous to South America, in fact, they migrated there a mere three million years ago. Historically, the findings are that they appeared in the central plains of North America about 40 million years ago. (question by babsr)

Answer: Dolly the Sheep

Dolly was the world's first cloned mammal and was produced at the Roslin Institute, part of Edinburgh University.

She had six offspring with a ram named David but was euthanized at the relatively young age of six when she was found to have a lung disease. She was later stuffed and put on display.

Irish champion Shergar was abducted at gunpoint in 1983. A ransom was demanded but while negotiations were still ongoing, the kidnappers (thought to be the IRA) claimed to have killed him. His body was never found.

Babe the Pig was the female lead in an award-winning movie from the novel "Babe: The Gallant Pig" by Dick King-Smith. Many people became vegetarians after viewing it.

Benjamin the Donkey is a character in "Animal Farm". (question by avriljean)

Answer: Cows

In the Valais region of Switzerland, annual cow fights are staged between females of the Herens breed. These animals have a temperament which makes them naturally a little aggressive to each other, mostly while disputing herd leadership.

Their horn tips are blunted and if they don't want to fight they're not jabbed cruelly with lances ... in fact, unlike a traditional bullfight there is no matador and no " Death in the Afternoon" - if a cow is really not in the mood, it can just leave!
The fights are mostly about pushing and shoving and a cow wins when her opponent backs down.

Why do they do it then? Prestige and value added to the cows and their calves. Oh, and a new bell with a fancy leather collar for the victor! (question by avriljean)

Answer: Mouse Deer

The mouse deer, also called chevrotain, was discovered by the French zoologist Henri Milne-Edwards in 1864.

They give birth to only a single baby at a time.

The various Asian species weighs anywhere from 1.5 to 17 pounds, and are significantly smaller than other even-toed ungulates.

They have a four-chambered stomach and are mostly a vegetarian. Sometimes, mouse deer that live near water will feed on insects and small fish or crustaceans. (question by shadowmyst2004)

Answer: Quagga

Only one quagga was ever photographed, dying in captivity in 1883. More than 100 years later in 1984, that same animal was used as part of the Quagga Project as researchers tried to use selective breeding and DNA sequencing to bring the species back to life.

Only 23 quagga hides are known to exist.

The Quagga Project used plains zebras and selective breeding to attempt to bring the species back, but after decades of trying, the project was deemed a mild success in 2005 when a quagga-like zebra was born in South Africa. (question by shadowmyst2004)

Answer: False

All ungulates are land animals.

The major characteristic of the classification is that the animal has toenails that have evolved into hooves of some sort.

There are even-toed (Artiodactyla) and odd-toed (Perissodactyla) ungulates within the order.
(question by shadowmyst2004)

Answer: Goat

From the Family Bovidae, the goat is hollow-horned and related to the sheep. It is native to rocky and mountainous terrain and was first domesticated approximately 10,000 years ago.

"The Lonely Goatherd" was performed by Julie Andrews, accompanied a puppet show performed by the children in the 1965 musical "The Sound of Music". Ten years later, The Rolling Stones released "Goatshead Soup"; "Angie" was a hit single from that album.
(question by parleydog)

Answer: Caribou

The nomadic caribou, also called a reindeer, is native to northern regions of North America, Europe, Asia and Greenland. They can migrate up to 3,000 miles in a single year. It's been documented that the caribou travels the greatest distance in a year, of any terrestrial mammal.
(question by parleydog)

Answer: toenail

The hoof and the nail are similar because they are both comprised of unguis, the horny translucent plate that covers the top surface of the toes.

An ungulate's hoof is made up of complex, soft tissue and keratinised structures. A human toenail is primarily made of keratin.

The major difference is that an ungulate's hoof is designed to be weight bearing, while a human's nail is not.
(question by parleydog)