Fun Trivia » Animals » Miscellaneous Animal Trivia » Identify the Animal

Elephants are found in Africa and Asia. Their main source of food is grass, fruit, and roots. Their preferred food is grass, and they can graze for as much as 22 hours every day. Their big ear flaps aid in communication as well as maintaining a consistent body temperature. Difficulty: Very Easy.

The brown tree snake is indigenous to Indonesia, the Solomon Islands, New Guinea, and Australia. It is believed that they were introduced accidentally to Guam by the U.S. military during World War II when men and equipment were moved between islands in the South Pacific.

The brown tree snakes have killed many animals and small mammals such as lizards, birds, eggs, and rats in Guam. Other side effects are damage to electrical lines and a reduction in tree seed germination due to the loss of birds and mammals that would normally perform that role.

It's estimated that the brown snake population is 13,000 snakes per square mile. One of the efforts to control their effect is building bird nests on poles with metal bands to hinder snake movement. Some reduction or control arises from traps and fences to exclude them from critical areas. Poison is used as a last resort due to possible side effects on other animals and plants.



Difficulty: Hard.

 

Macaque, Human tourists, Burmese python

The sun bear (Helarctos malayanus) is the world's smallest bear and one of the rarest and most endangered; it is also the fiercest, known to attack human beings without provocation. Named for the crescent mark on its chest that resembles the setting sun, the sun bear is also known as the dog-faced bear for its canine-like face, having a short, flat head, short muzzle, and round ears. It's also called the honey bear, after its freakishly long tongue that can extract honey from hives. But we're not done with names; it's also called the Malay bear for its habitat of tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia. In the Malay language, it is the 'basindo nan tenggil', meaning "he who likes to sit high", as they are agile climbers and like to sun-bathe in treetops up to 23 feet (7 m). A sun bear could easily kill a clouded leopard.

The grizzly bear is a large North American denizen; the polar bear, Arctic; and the spectacled bear, South American.
Difficulty: Hard.

 

Polar bear, Grizzly bear, Spectacled bear

Cicadas are large flying insects - the males make a loud buzzing noise during the summer months in the USA. They are often annoying but do not glow.

OK - now for the biological stuff...(you are now officially warned that relatively boring science facts will follow.)

Bioluminescence is the chemical reaction that allows the Lampyridea family of the beetle Coleoptera family to glow. Known regionally as fireflies, lightning bugs and glowworms, many children have chased these "evening sparks" through their lawns as dusk descends. (One must have a mayonnaise jar with holes poked in the lid in order to properly catch a firefly...please enjoy their glow then promptly let them go.) Difficulty: Hard.

 

Lightning Bugs, Fireflies, Glowworms

What a place, where your most dangerous animal is a spider with a bite similar in impact to a bee sting! Considering that New Zealand's neighbor Australia seemingly has hordes of venomous snakes and other fearsome fauna we can deduce two things about them: they never learned to swim as far as New Zealand and never mastered the ability to hitch rides on ships or planes heading to New Zealand. (Furthermore, the white-tailed spider is an Australian native.)

(Question and information submitted by obiwan4) Difficulty: Hard.

 

Wellington wolverine, South Island stripeless tiger, Kiwi during breeding season

Pigs are commonly called dirty or filthy, they even lend themselves to the phrase "sweating like a pig" which is false since pigs don't sweat. They use water and mud to cool themselves off. Pigs are also known to be careful about not soiling the area where they sleep or eat. There's also an anecdote about a woman who built a shower for her pigs and they learned how to turn it on and off by themselves. So, go ahead, be a pig! Difficulty: Very Easy.

 

Cow, Goat, Pigeon

Arctic foxes live around the Arctic Circle. They are nomadic. Food is often scarce so they roam over a very large range. Their diet consists mostly of voles, lemmings and rodents but they will also eat plants. Difficulty: Easy.

 

Kit fox, Red fox, Snow fox

A quokka is a small marsupial of the macropod family, which also includes kangaroos and wallabies.

They are found mainly on Rottnest Island, off the coast of Western Australia. The first documented sighting of a quokka was in 1658 by a Dutch sailor Sauel Vokckertzoon, who called it a "wild cat". In 1698 another Dutch mariner, Willem de Vlamington thought they were giant rats, and named the island on which they were sighted "Rotte Nest" meaning "rat nest". The name of the island eventually became Rottnest Island.

Quokkas weigh between 2.5 and 5 kilograms (5.5 to 11 lbs) and are 40 to 90 centimetres long (16 to 35 inches). Their tails are 25 to 30 centimetres (9.8 to 11.8 inches) long. They are brown in colour, and unlike other macropods, can climb small trees. They are classified as vulnerable.
Difficulty: Easy.

 

A butterfly from the Amazon, An antelope from Botswana, A bird from New Zealand

Both the males and females have manes but the males have more impressive ones. As the Tahr ages the mane gets progressively longer. Their habitat is on rocky slopes in Oman and the United Arab Emirates. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Capra , Markhor, Alpine Ibex

This predatory owl is a silent killer that swoops down out of the darkness to attack its prey, which includes rabbits, squirrels, and skunks. It weighs 2-3 pounds and stands over 1½ feet tall. Its wingspan can reach up to five feet. Most of these owls live in abandoned nests, trees or even caves. The coloration of their feathers provides excellent camouflage. Difficulty: Average.

 

Martial eagle, Bearded vulture, Blakiston's fish owl

The wood stork is easily identified by its featherless head, long legs and distinctive bill, and can generally be found in the waters of South and Central America, as well as the Caribbean. The way in which it feeds is quite remarkable, as it employs an unusual fishing technique that involves opening its bill before plunging it into the water. The wood stork then waits patiently for a fish to swim close to its open bill, before then snapping it shut like a mousetrap. With such an impressive reaction time, of around 25 milliseconds, the wood stork's prey has no chance of escaping. Difficulty: Easy.

 

Australian king parrot, Blue jay, Wild turkey

The cat is actually classified as crepuscular which means that they are most active during dawn and dusk. Cats however have the ability to adapt to their owners' schedule and routine. Difficulty: Very Easy.

 

dog, fish, rabbit

Zebras are indigenous to the plains and mountains of Africa. They have evolved from early horses in the last four million years. As with other native animals, man has had a severe impact on their numbers, and at least one subspecies has become extinct. There has been debate over whether the animals were white with black stripes or vice versa. The study of embryos has shown that they are black animals which develop white stripes and abdomens. Various explanations have been suggested as to why zebras have stripes, including camouflage, confusing prey, heat regulation over different organs, and as each animal has a different pattern, a visual means of identification.

Like horses, most species live in harems of a stallion, several mares and their foals. Bachelor zebras live either singly or in groups together until they are old enough to challenge a stallion for his harem. Although attempts have been made to domesticate them because they are more resistant to African diseases than horses, their tendency to panic under stress has made them unsuitable for riding or as pack animals.

Question by Calpurnia09 Difficulty: Very Easy.

 

Gnu, Springbok, Duiker

The last time this animal was seen in the Yangtze was 2007. In 2002 the last one living in captivity died. This unusual Chinese dolphin is now thought to be functionally extinct. Growing to a maximum length of 2.7 metres, the baiji, nicknamed the Goddess of the Yangtze by the Chinese, declined rapidly in numbers following the advent of hydroelectric schemes on that mighty river. Managing to survive for 25 million years before the advent of the modern age, the baiji has been killed off by the flick of a switch. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Crab, Bandicoot, Piranha

This bird is one of the loudest birds in the world. The lyrebird has the loudest bird call in the world but the sound of the kakapo travels the furthest. It is active mostly at night and is a solitary bird that gets together only to breed. It is also flightless and an excellent tree climber. Difficulty: Hard.

 

lyrebird, peacock, cuckoo

The name 'quahog' stems from the Narragansett word "poquauhock". It is commonly found along the east coast of North America all the way from Canada down to Mexico's Yucatan peninsula.

Different sizes of the quahog are marketed under different names, in addition to the names mentioned in the question. The smallest are called 'countnecks', and increasing in size from there are 'littlenecks', 'topnecks', 'cherrystones', and finally 'quahogs' or 'chowder clams'.

The quahog's binomial name is 'Mercenaria mercenaria', classified in the year 1758. Difficulty: Easy.

 

Quezno, Quibbler, Quodlibet

The saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus), sometimes known as the estuarine or Indo-Pacific crocodile, has been known to grow to 7m (23 feet) in length and may weigh up to 1300 kg (3000 lbs). Nests are created during the wet season between November and March and the female will lay forty to sixty eggs at a time. Of these eggs, roughly 80% will actually hatch, and only 1% of the hatchlings are expected to survive to maturity.

The freshwater crocodile (Crocodylus johnsoni) can reach up to 4m in length and is found in northern Australia. The Komodo dragon is the largest lizard in the world. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Komodo dragon, Freshwater crocodile, Green anaconda

There is evidence that horses have been domesticated by humans for over 5000 years. An Altai horse is one that is typically just over 13 hands tall and originated in Central Asia in the Altai Mountains. The Hirzai has an average height of around 15 hands. As the name suggests, the Dutch Warmblood breed was developed in the Netherlands and they are often used in show jumping. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Zebra, Llama, Alpaca

The pika is a cute mammal which looks like a hamster but is a first cousin to the rabbit. It loves sunbathing on rocks and uses its pepper/salt coat as camouflage. Difficulty: Hard.

 

picotee, picoline, piker

The elephant is native to Africa and parts of Asia. While it is unable to jump it does boast a very useful trunk which can be used for feeding, siphoning and spraying water. It is the largest terrestrial animal and is second only to the giraffe in height. Difficulty: Very Easy.

Like cormorants, the anhinga is an expert diver and hunts fish underwater. It is alternatively called a darter or 'snake bird' and is found in Australia, Asia and South America. The agouti is a rodent from Central and South America. The most common species of assassin bug is called the kissing bug as it bites human beings and rodents close to their mouths. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Assassin bug, Albatross, Agouti

Singing performs a triple function- the male advertises his claim to a territory, makes himself known to neighboring females, and proves his virility- the males who can sing the loudest and longest are the healthiest and can sire the best young. Females do sing too, but not as much as the males. Difficulty: Hard.

It is a kind of antelope found in South Africa. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Fish, Bird, Reptile

This scorpion is native to the south-eastern parts of Australia. Difficulty: Hard.

This strange animal looks like a cross between a pig, a donkey, and a kangaroo. It eats termites. The aardwolf is a strange, shy nocturnal African carnivore in the hyena family. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Anteater, Armadillo, Aardwolf

Flamingos live in tropical and subtropical climates. Their main source of food is algae, fish, and insects. Algae is a favored meal of flamingos. Flamingos sleep on only one leg. Flamingos are capable of flying. Difficulty: Very Easy.

 

Galah, Pink robin, Pine grosbeak

The Argentine Government introduced the North American beaver in 1946 to the southern area of Patagonia in an attempt to establish the fur trade.

Beavers lacked natural predators in the area, and the region, with its many rivers and trees, was an ideal environment for them. Coupled with the unwillingness or inability of local residents to hunt them, the beaver population grew at a rapid rate.

This has contributed to reductions in forested regions and changes in river flow due to the construction of beaver dams. It should also be noted that the Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego regions are pristine environments that have been affected very little by human presence; and that environment is being disturbed by the introduction of beavers. Difficulty: Very Easy.

 

Grizzly Bear, Reindeer, Ermine

The wild boar (Sus scrofa) or wild swine or wild pig originated in Europe and central Asia and it was introduced to Africa, Southeast Asia, the Americas, and Australasia, making it one of the most widespread animals on Earth. All domestic breeds of hog descend from the wild boar. Males have a dark, bristly coat and a four tusks which they are not afraid to use against human beings if need be, and they can do serious damage by charging and stabbing at the thighs. Once they start attacking, they will not stop until their opponent is dead or utterly incapacitated.
Difficulty: Very Easy.

 

Aardvark, Wild horse, Hyrax

The sugar glider is a marsupial from Australia, New Guinea, and some islands of Indonesia. It is attracted to sweet sap and nectar for its food, but is also capable of gliding between trees much like a flying squirrel. It is awfully cute with its large eyes that have adapted for night vision, but that has nothing to do with how it got its common name. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Because it looks so cute, like a bowl full of sugar, Because when roasted its meat has a sugary taste, Because it grinds its food into granules that look like sugar

Found in South America, mara can grow to be around eighteen inches high.
There are two distinct species, the Patagonian mara and the Chacoan mara. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Macaque, Muskrat, Mongoose

The barn owl has a very distinctive and beautiful face with white feathers and wide eyes. Unlike other owls, it does not hoot but instead makes an extremely loud "shree scream."

The American bald eagle has made a comeback from the endangered list in the USA (due to the ban of DDT insecticide.) The hoot owl is the one most associated with the eponymous call.

To my knowledge, there is no bird called a night hawk...but there is one called a duck hawk. (If I were a superhero I would choose the former rather than the latter as my alter-ego. Better costume options - I can't imagine a cool duck hawk outfit. Quack.) Difficulty: Average.

 

Bald eagles, Night hawks, Hoot owls

Bats are not blind and actually have very good eyesight, especially in the dark. But bats use echolocation - emitting high frequency sounds to help them navigate and locate objects. Bats use this to dart from food source to food source - insects that humans might not have even seen. They have highly attuned senses that humans aren't very good at using. So, go ahead, be a bat! Difficulty: Very Easy.

 

Mouse, Fox, Eagle

Worms are technically decomposers. There are lots and lots of worms, e.g., tapeworms, flatworms and flukes which have flat bodies and eyes in the front; like the tapeworm, some are parasites. Roundworms, threadworms and hookworms form a second group and segmented worms form a third group. On the other hand, glowworms are insect larvae that have bio-luminescence, i.e, they glow; mealworms are the larvae of a darkling beetle, and shipworms are really clams which use their shells to drill into driftwood or wooden ships (the termites of the sea world). Now, let's go have some lunch! Difficulty: Hard.

 

glowworm, mealworm, shipworm

Raccoons are native to North America and have adapted well to human settlements, taking advantage of garbage and gardens to supplement their omnivorous diet. Mostly nocturnal, they have a black facial marking that looks like a mask. Though they may appear to be washing their food or their hand-like paws in nearby water before eating, scientists believe cleanliness isn't the reason for the behavior. It may be to increase the sensitivity of their paws, or it may be a habit left over from grasping for edible things along pond and stream banks. Difficulty: Easy.

 

Squirrel, Rat, Chipmunk

A tenrec is a small mammal found mainly on Madagascar and small parts of the African mainland. In appearance they look similar to hedgehogs, opossums, otters or mice, and they come in various sizes. They are omnivores and mostly nocturnal. There are several species on Madagascar and three on the African mainland. Females can have up to 29 teats - more than any other mammal and they can have as many as 30 young.
Difficulty: Hard.

 

A frog from New Guinea, A species of shark from Antarctica, A bird from the Comoro Islands

The sloth bear evolved from the brown bear thousands of years ago. They feed mainly on insects including termites and honey bees, and a variety of fruits. This bear can be readily tamed and as such they can be often seen at the circus. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Spectacled bear, Polar bear, Grizzly bear

The geoduck (pronounced "gooey duck") is a very large edible clam found along the west coast of North America. As well as being one of the largest clams, they are also one of the longest living animals, as they have very few predators, and can live up to 150 years.

Their shells are from 15 centimetres to over 20 centimetres (5 in to 7.9 in) and their "neck" can grow to 1 metre (3.2 feet) in length. They weigh from 0.5 kg to 1.5 kg (1 to 3 pounds) but very large ones can weigh up to 7.5 kg (15 pounds)

They are a very popular food on the Asian market and are very expensive, selling for over $330 per kg ($150 per pound). Difficulty: Hard.

 

Duck found in the Ukraine, Small rodent from Laos, Another name for a tiger prawn

Though the Atlantic puffin's colouring is similar to that of the penguin, it is known for its colourful bill, which is believed to aid in attracting a mate. During breeding season, its large, triangular bill turns a distinctive bright orange, with flecks of blue and yellow dotting its rear. But as winter arrives, this colour fades, and is eventually replaced by a drab grey. Also referred to as the sea parrot, due to the fact that it spends most of its life at sea, the Atlantic puffin is an excellent swimmer, and has been known to dive to depths of 200 feet, despite only being able to hold its breath for 20-30 seconds at a time. Difficulty: Average.

 

King vulture, Rockhopper penguin, Great blue heron

The owl's large eyes, combined with being farsighted, assist them in low light hunting. Although most owls are nocturnal, there are some species that are active during the day such as the burrowing owl. Difficulty: Very Easy.

 

ferret, mouse, rabbit

Yellow jackets are wasps and can be recognised by their distinctive colouration patterns. In colour, they are mostly black and yellow, but can be black and white, and some have a red abdomen. They are about the size of a honey bee.

They live in colonies where workers, queens and males can be found. The adults feed on fruit, flower nectar and tree sap. Adult workers chew food such as insects, meat and fish, and then feed it to the larvae.
Difficulty: Hard.

 

Bee, Hornet, Dragonfly