Mammals Starting With "D" Trivia Quiz

Answer: Smell

Most dolphins have better vision and hearing than humans do. This is both in and out of water. There are a few exceptions; most river dolphins are effectively blind. Dolphins are social animals that touch each other frequently and have a strong sense of touch.

The brains of dolphins have a very underdeveloped olfactory nerve and most are believed to have no, or very little, sense of smell. What is somewhat unusual is that they do appear to have a well-developed sense of taste. The sense of smell and of taste are often intertwined in other animals, but apparently not in dolphins.

Answer: Only the dominant female of a pack will breed.

Only the dominant female of a pack will breed. After a two month gestation she will give birth to a litter of between 4-10 pups. The whole pack helps with the upbringing and all bring food to the mother and babies. Packs have a very tight bond, usually hunt together, and will help those who are ill, weak, or injured. Dholes are excellent swimmers and will often chase deer or sheep into the water in an attempt to catch them.

They are usually successful. Dholes are found in southern regions of Asia and are threatened by habitat loss.

Answer: Hinny

Donkeys can be mated with most other types of equines. When you mate a female horse with a male donkey you get a mule. When you mate a donkey with a zebra, you get a zedonk or zonkey. All of these equine hybrids are usually sterile. Hinnies are similar to mules in that they are often less stubborn than a donkey and are often smarter than a horse. For unknown reasons, when a horse is bred with a donkey, male offspring are much more likely to survive than female.

Answer: They hibernate.

Dormouse are small rodents found in Asia, Europe, and Africa. They have bushy tails, large eyes, gray to red fur, and usually nocturnal in nature. There are over 27 species of dormouse and they have differences in appearance and behavior due to adaptations to their surroundings and changes in weather.

They have excellent hearing due to their large ears and are a very vocal member of the rodent family. They are also one of the few rodents to engage in true hibernation. They are omnivorous and will eat whatever is in the area and store food when hibernation is imminent for use in case it is a long winter.

Answer: They live in different places.

The dugong is approximately the same size as a manatee and they belong to the same family. The dugong lives in the Indian Ocean and the far western areas of the Pacific. Manatees on the other hand are found in Atlantic Ocean. The dugong is a peaceful herbivore and is no threat to man.

Their meat and blubber have been used for centuries by indigenous populations. Today they are becoming threatened by fishing nets, isolated populations and slow reproduction. Many of their relatives have become extinct and great care has been initiated by numerous countries to protect this beautiful animal.

Answer: Dall's porpoise

Dall's porpoise are often mistaken for an orca/killer whales and inhabit the northern areas of the Pacific Ocean. They usually are seen in the open ocean as opposed to coastal regions. These are one of the fastest swimming aquatic mammals and usually live in pods between 5-50.

They feed on fish, squid, octopus, and occasionally shrimp and crabs. The main reason for population decline of these beautiful animals is being accidently caught in fishing nets and they are eaten in some regions of far-eastern Asia.

Answer: False

This is completely false. While European settlers were responsible for changing the Australian ecosystem by importing rabbits, cats, and sheep, the dingo had already made its home in Australia centuries before the Europeans got there. Dingos can be found in small pockets of south-east Asia. It is thought that dingos were brought to Australia by Aboriginal settlers thousands of years ago.

Answer: Vietnam

The brightly color douc is found in the countries of Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and a few very small areas in China. They have red legs and white forearms which give the appearance of wearing stocking and gloves. These colors fade when the animal reaches old age, as can be seen in this photo. Doucs live in the trees and are rarely seen on the ground.

This animal dines on fiber-rich leaves and is most active during the day.

Answer: False

A dromedary is a one humped camel found Africa and the Middle East. This small antelope is known as a duiker. There are quite a few varieties of this antelope but all are Sub-Saharan, and quite at home in high brush. Duikers are shy and secretive, and unless with a mate, are often somewhat solitary. They can be found together at locations where food or water is plentiful.

Answer: It is a local Somali name.

The word 'dibatag' come from the Somali words 'dabu', which means tail, and 'tag' which means erect. It is a reference to the positions of this gazelle's tail when they are in flight. The have one of the longest necks of any gazelle and make use of it to retrieve leaves and fruit from the sparse trees found in the areas of Ethiopia and Somalia.

They rarely drink water, retrieving what is needed from their food. The dibatag is territorial and live in pairs as opposed to herds.