Eritrea's Enthralling Wildlife Quiz

Answer: caracal

The resemblance of the caracal (Caracal caracal) with the cats of the genus Lynx is due to its long, black-tufted ears, from which its name ("black ears" in Turkish) is derived. This feline's closest relative, however, is the serval (Leptailurus serval), also encountered in Eritrea. The caracal is a robust, long-legged cat, with a short, reddish-tan or sandy coat, distinctive black facial markings, and white patches around the eyes. It is native to Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, and northwestern South Asia, where it is found in a variety of habitats - with a preference, however, for dry areas with some cover. A solitary, nocturnal hunter, the caracal preys mostly on small mammals, though it is capable of taking down larger prey such as antelopes. and can leap up more than 3 m (10 ft) to catch birds on the wing.

Often depicted in Ancient Egyptian art, the caracal was highly prized in Persia, India and China, where it was used to hunt small game. In the Tigrinya language of Eritrea, it is called "ch'ok anbessa", meaning "bearded lion". This beautiful cat is classified as Least Concern by IUCN (2016), though the species is threatened by habitat loss and human activity.

While the serval is also a native of Africa, the ocelot and the kodkod are both South American cat species.

Answer: it eats mainly insects and their larvae

The aardwolf (Proteles cristata) is one of four hyena species; its common name means "earth wolf" in Dutch and Afrikaans. It is a slender-bodied animal with a striped coat, bushy tail, and front legs that are longer than their hind legs (a feature shared by all hyenas); its primary defense mechanism is a foul-smelling liquid secreted by its anal glands. This shy, nocturnal animal inhabits open shrubland in East and Southern Africa, where it shelters in underground burrows during the day (hence its common name). The population found in Northeast Africa is distinct from the one found in Southern Africa, though there is some disagreement about the actual existence of two subspecies.

Unlike other hyenas, the aardwolf does not eat carrion, nor does it prey on larger animals, but feeds primarily on termites and their larvae - which explains this animal's preference for grasslands and savanna, where termites can be found in abundance. Its large ears enable the aardwolf to locate termites, which it laps up off the ground with its long, sticky tongue. On an average night, an aardwolf can consume over 200,000 termites. Though its dietary preferences make it beneficial to farmers, the aardwolf is still persecuted in some areas because it is believed to prey on livestock (as other hyenas do). However, it is still relatively common throughout its range, especially in East Africa, and is classified by IUCN as Least Concern (2015).

Answer: seagrass

The dugong (Dugong dugon) is the only living member of the once-extensive family Dugongidae of the order Sirenia. Most members of the family died out millions of years ago, with the exception of the huge Steller's sea cow (Hydrodamalis gigas), which was sadly hunted to extinction in the late 18th century. The sea mammals of the order Sirenia (which also comprises three species of manatees) are also known as sea-cows because of their herbivorous habits. The name "Sirenia" stems from the belief that these unique animals were the inspiration for mermaids; "dugong", on the other hand, comes from Malay or Visayan (one of the languages spoken in the Philippines).

Like other sirenians, dugongs have long, fusiform bodies, heavy bones, and a thin layer of blubber. their tail fluke, however, is not paddle-shaped like that of manatees, but similar to that of dolphins. While manatees are found in the coastal areas of the Atlantic Ocean, as well as in swamps and rivers, the dugong is an exclusively marine mammal, which inhabits the coastal waters on the Indo-West Pacific region, where it can find large seagrass meadows (such as the one shown in the photo). Like cattle, they are browsers, and dig out the plants - which they usually eat whole - with their muscular upper lip. Dugongs will also occasionally eat algae and marine invertebrates when seagrass is in short supply, though not fish, and definitely not seals.

The warm waters of the Red Sea are one of the most favourable environments for dugongs, and numbers of these animals appear to be healthy on both of the sea's coasts. Unfortunately, this is not the case of other parts of their range: hunted for thousands of years for their meat, oil, skin, and bones, and susceptible to habitat degradation, dugongs are classified by IUCN as Vulnerable (2015).

Answer: elephant

With their furry, well-rounded bodies, hyraxes superficially look like close relatives of rodents such as marmots or guinea pigs. However, these small, herbivorous mammals native to Africa and the Middle East are most closely related to elephants, dugongs, and manatees, while their relation to rodents is a much more distant one. They have prominent, pointed incisors resembling an elephant's tusks, very short tails, and large, soft pads on the soles of their feet. The name "hyrax" comes from the Greek for "shrewmouse", which emphasizes the resemblance of these creatures to other, unrelated mammals.

Hyraxes belong to the family Procaviidae of the order Hyracoidea. The most widespread of the five species is the stocky rock hyrax (Procavia capensis), the only species in its genus, and the only hyrax species not exclusive to Africa. As its name implies, the rock hyrax lives in rocky areas well provided with crevices that enable them to escape predators, and can be found at elevations up to 4,200 m (13,800 ft). The smaller, somewhat slenderer yellow-spotted rock hyrax, or bush hyrax (Heterohyrax brucei), is found in dry savanna and rocky areas of East and Southeastern Africa (as well as Angola). Interestingly, these two species, widespread in Eritrea, are likely to be unable to interbreed because of the marked difference in male sex organs. Both species are classified by IUCN as Least Concern (2015).

In Tigrinya, the hyrax is called "gihè". These animals are mentioned several times in the Old Testament, where in some translations they are referred to as "coneys", and described as not kosher because of their lack of split hooves.

A small population of African bush elephants (Loxodonta africana), the world's largest living land animal, is still found in central Eritrea, near the Ethiopian border.

Answer: it is critically endangered

Though it once had a considerably wider range, the African wild ass (Equus africanus) is now restricted to small areas of the deserts and semi-deserts of the Horn of Africa, particularly Eritrea. Of its two subspecies, the Nubian wild ass (Equus africanus africanus) is believed to be extinct, as no specimens have been sighted in their native range for close to 50 years. The few individuals still left in the wild (no more than 500, possibly much less) belong to the other subspecies, the Somali wild ass (Equus africanus somaliensis).

As the photo shows, the Somali wild ass has a coat of a light-grey to fawn colour fading to white in the belly and legs; most of the legs bear distinctive horizontal black stripes, similar to those of a zebra. These animals are well adapted to life in an arid environment: their digestive system can break down tough grasses and leaves and extract moisture from food, which enables them to go without water for a long time. Their large ears also help with cooling in those deserts' extremely high temperatures. Somali wild asses can also move nimbly across rocky terrain, and run almost as fast as horses.

The domestic donkey (Equus asinus) is descended from the African wild ass, which was probably domesticated in Nubia (part of present-day Sudan) around the fourth millennium BC. Though there is no shortage of domestic donkeys, the wild species is classified as Critically Endangered by IUCN (2015), in spite of the legal protection it enjoys in the countries where it is still found. The main threats are interbreeding with domestic animals, hunting, and war and civil unrest.

Answer: baboon

Eritrea is home to one lemur species (the galago, or Senegal bushbaby) and several monkey species, which include the rare and endemic grivet (Chlorocebus aethiops) and the hamadryas baboon, which is also native to the southwestern Arabian Peninsula. This large, strongly sexually dimorphic hamadryas ("wood nymph" in Greek) is distinguished by the striking, silver-white mane and cape of fur developed by adult males. Hamadryas baboons live mostly in arid areas, and are adapted to these challenging environments. Like most Old World monkeys, they are omnivorous, and their diet includes invertebrates, birds, reptiles and small mammals as well as a variety of plant-based foods. During the dry season, hamadryas baboons keep near permanent waterholes, and dig supplementary drinking holes if needed. Unlike other baboons, their society is patriarchal, and adult males are domineering and aggressive.

There are six living species of baboon, all native to Africa, and characterized by their dog-like muzzles. Another of these species, the olive baboon (Papio anubis), is also found in Eritrea, though in a smaller area of the country than the hamadryas baboon. Both species are listed by IUCN as Least Concern (2019/2020). The hamadryas baboon is called "gawina" in Tigrinya. In ancient Egyptian art, this monkey was deified as Babi, the "Bull of Baboons", a fierce, bloodthirsty god with a huge phallus associated with Osiris, the god of the underworld.

Macaques are found in Southern Europe (Gibraltar), North Africa, and Asia, but not in sub-Saharan Africa, while marmosets are New World monkeys. Gibbons, on the other hand, are considered apes (though of the "lesser" sort), and have no tail.

Answer: ibis

"Ibis" is the Greek and Latin name for a group of wading birds of the family Threskiornithidae, derived from the Ancient Egyptian "hbj". Found both in the Old and the New World, these large birds have long legs and long, downcurved bills; they are strong fliers, and inhabit wetlands and forests. Of the 29 existing species included in the family, at least four are found in Eritrea. One of them, the wattled ibis (Bostrychia carunculata), is endemic to the highlands of Ethiopia and Eritrea. The large black-and-white bird shown in the photo, however, is the African sacred ibis (Threskiornis aethiopicus), found in most of sub-Saharan Africa, as well as Iraq, Kuwait and Yemen.

In Ancient Egypt, ibises were held sacred (hence their common name), and were often mummified as an offering to Thoth, god of wisdom and knowledge, who was depicted with the head of an ibis. Such was the demand for these birds that a large number of ibis breeding farms were established throughout Egypt. Ironically, the sacred ibis was extirpated from Egypt in the mid-19th century; on the other hand, these birds are fairly common in other African countries (including Eritrea), and the species is classified by IUCN as Least Concern (2018). The species has also been introduced to some European countries (where it is considered invasive), Taiwan, and Florida.

Answer: its neck and legs are blue

Long considered a subspecies of the common ostrich (Struthio camelus), the Somali ostrich (Struthio molybdophanes) was identified as a separate species in 2014. A native of the Horn of Africa, this majestic bird has a number of features that distinguish it from the common ostrich. As the photo shows, Somali ostriches have blue-grey skin (rather than pinkish-red) on their necks and thighs, which turns bright blue in the males during mating season. Another distinguishing feature are the tail feathers, which are always white, while in the common ostrich they are often buff-coloured. The Somali ostrich also tends to prefer areas with thicker vegetation than the open savanna favoured by the common ostrich, and feeds by browsing rather than grazing.

Because of political unrest in the areas it usually inhabits (especially Somalia) and uncontrolled hunting, the Somali ostrich's numbers have been steadily shrinking; therefore, this bird is classified by IUCN as Vulnerable (2016). In Eritrea, this bird - one of the world's two largest bird species - is known as "segen".

Like other ratites (birds lacking a keel on their sternum), ostriches are flightless; neither species of ostrich has a crest. Being mostly herbivorous, they definitely do not prey on other birds.

Answer: cobra

The critter in the photo is a superb specimen of red spitting cobra (Naja pallida), one of the many species of cobra that inhabit the African continent. This species is found in dry areas of East Africa, from Egypt to Tanzania; it is widespread in Eritrea, where it is occasionally found in the highlands. As its name implies, this reptile is usually a beautiful, salmon-red colour, with a broad, black neck band; it can reach a length of around 1.5 m (4.9 ft), though it is generally shorter. As its populations are stable throughout its range, the red spitting cobra is classified by IUCN as Least Concern (2021).

Although all cobras are highly venomous, the red spitting cobra is considered somewhat less dangerous than other species, because its primary defense weapon is spitting venom rather than inoculating it with a bite. However, being hit by a spray of venom in a vulnerable area (such as the eyes or nose) can lead to substantial damage, and there has been at least a case of a man who died when the venom of a red spitting cobra entered his nasal passages, leading to anaphylactic shock.

The cobra was one of the sacred animals of Ancient Egypt, and a symbol of the royal power of Pharaohs; it is also worshipped as a deity in Hinduism. While mambas and adders are both found in Africa, rattlesnakes are exclusive to the Americas.

Answer: hawksbill

Named after its sharp, curved beak, similar to that of a bird of prey, the hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) is the only species of its genus, and one of the seven existing species of sea turtle. Its shell is characterized by overlapping, shingle-like scutes (the meaning of the specific name "imbricata"), saw-like edges, and a pattern of light and dark streaks on an amber background. A large animal, which can weigh over 100 kg (220 lb), the hawksbill turtle is generally found in warm, tropical waters, around coral reefs, and is commonly seen off the east coast of Africa. At least two major nesting sites are located on the Red Sea coast, where the turtles lay their eggs in the sandy beaches. Hawksbill turtles mainly feed on sea sponges, abundant in coral reef environments, thought they also eat algae, marine plants, and various marine animals, including jellyfish.

Unfortunately, hawksbill turtles have been hunted for centuries throughout their range for their striking shells - the primary source of the material known as tortoiseshell - which has decimated their populations. Now in many parts of the world it is illegal to hunt, kill and trade hawksbills, but these turtles' existence is also threatened by pollution and loss of nesting sites, as well as their low reproductive rates. Not surprisingly, they have been classified by IUCN as Critically Endangered (2008).

Of the three sea turtle species listed as wrong answers, the loggerhead turtle is also found in the Red Sea, while the leatherback turtle is rare in the Indian Ocean, and the flatback turtle is endemic to the Australian continental shelf.