Scientific Road Kill Trivia Quiz

Answer: Dasypus novemcinctus

Better known as the common armadillo, a favorite Texas entry into "roadkill cookoffs." They supposedly make good soups and stews.

Answer: Procyon lotor

We're talking raccoons, of course. These industrious critters will eat nearly anything. The Latin word "lotor" translates to "the washer," a reference to the raccoon's habit of washing its food in water before eating.

Answer: Mephitis mephitis

Everybody knows about dead skunk roadkill! The Latin translates as "noxious gas, noxious gas." A very well-named animal, I must say. They put it twice because skunks REALLY stink! Roadkill skunk even inspired a classic song by Louden Wainwright III - "Dead skunk in the middle of the road, stinkin' to high Heaven!" A skunk can spray as far away as 12 feet.

Answer: Elaphe obsoleta quadrivittata

It's a snake, of course, a yellow rat snake, more specifically. You'll find many, many species of snake flattened out along the roads, and this is just one of them. Most commonly found in Florida, my home state, the yellow rat snake is also found along the Atlantic coast from Georgia to North Carolina. Definitely roadkill with a southern flair!

Answer: Rana catesbeiana

Anyone who's enjoyed a nice game of "Frogger" knows what this is, in this example the bull frog, specifically. This frog is considered to be the largest species in North America, growing as much as 6 inches in length. You would know you hit something if you ran one of these over! They are most commonly found in the marshes and swamps of Ohio.

In Australia, running over the much-reviled cane toad has become something of a national sport!

Answer: Sciurus carolinensis

The common gray squirrel, one of the most commonly found varieties of roadkill. This is a strange distinction, considering how agile and crafty they are. But for some reason they have a bad habit of making it safely across the road, then inexplicably reversing course in panic at the sight of an approaching car, running right back into the road in front of the car. I've never understood how an animal smart and agile enough to defeat every device ever invented by man to keep them out of bird feeders can still be dumb enough to run in front of cars!

Answer: Didelphis virginiana

More commonly known as a "possum," the oppossum is another of the more commonly-found roadkill victims. This is probably due to two factors: one, they are known to eat roadkill carrion themselves, thus placing them in the path of vehicles more often than other animals; and two, they are a fairly slow-moving animal. Sounds like a recipe for disaster to me!

Answer: Gopherus polyphemus

A turtle, of course, in this case a Florida gopher tortoise. The gopher tortoise is a land-burrowing tortoise common to Florida, and as a Floridian I can attest to their propensity for becoming roadkill. Turtle/tortoise species seem naturals to become roadkill due to their slow speed. Abandoned gopher tortoise burrows are popular homes for many other Florida species, particularly snakes.

Answer: Canis lupus familiaris

Sadly, man's best friend, the common dog, is an all-too-frequent victim of roadkill. To avoid such a tragedy, never allow your dog to roam freely through the neighborhood!

Answer: Cathartes aura

I thought I'd end on an ironic note. The turkey vulture, which feeds on carrion and is thus a big fan of roadkill, is sometimes a victim of the very phenomenon that helps it survive. And it only makes sense, since they are out on the roads so often, dutifully helping us remove our roadkill from the highways of America. Hope you enjoyed the quiz!