Extreme Mammals Trivia Quiz

Answer: 0

Amazing, but true!

The majority of mammals have seven cervical vertebrae (bones in the neck) which is true of both giraffes and humans. The exceptions are the manatee and the two-toed sloth, which have six, and the three-toed sloth which has nine.

Answer: 40,000

An elephant trunk has over 40,000 muscles. This makes it one of the most complex and muscular organs in the animal kingdom. The intricate arrangement of these muscles allows the trunk to perform a wide range of tasks, such as grasping, smelling, drinking, and even making trumpet-like sounds.

Answer: lay eggs

Monotremes are classified by the structural differences in their brains, jaws, digestive tracts, and reproductive tracts. Their major difference is the latter, specifically that they lay eggs.

Although they are different in that they lay eggs, female monotremes are like other mammals in that they nurse their young with milk.

Answer: can fly

Members of Chiroptera ("hand wings") are the bats. Bats are the only mammals capable of sustained flight; other "flying" mammals are simply gliders. There are over 1,400 species of bats, occupying every location on Earth except the polar regions.

Answer: 61 mph (98 kph)

In 2012, an 11-year-old cheetah from the Cincinnati Zoo set a world record by running 100 m (330 ft) in 5.95 seconds over a set run, recording a maximum speed of 98 km/h (61 mph).

Answer: Cuvier's beaked whale

Being mammals, whales need to breathe air, as opposed to fish which can extract oxygen that is dissolved in water.

Cuvier's beaked whales have been recorded staying submerged for over three hours, with a maximum of 222 minutes (3 hours 42 minutes).

Overall, whales have an average dive time of 15 to 60 minutes. Killer whales have one of the shortest, at the 15 minute mark.

Answer: naked mole-rat

While humans, whales, elephants, hippos are all relatively hairless, naked mole rats exhibit an extreme lack of fur, with only sparse hair on their bodies.

Answer: teeth continuously grow

Rodents, rabbits, and some other mammals like beavers and walruses have teeth that never stop growing. These animals need to constantly wear down their teeth by chewing on tough materials to prevent them from growing too long and causing problems.

Horses and zebras also have teeth that grow throughout their lives, though they eventually wear down.

Answer: armadillos

Most members of the genus Dasypus give birth to four monozygotic (single zygote) young (that is, identical quadruplets), but other species may have litter sizes that range from one to eight.

Answer: platypus

Several mammals besides humans possess opposable thumbs. These include primates like gorillas, chimpanzees, orangutans, bonobos, and various monkey species. Beyond primates, opossums, giant pandas, and koalas also have opposable thumbs, though their structure and function may differ.