I Spy Red Eyes Trivia Quiz

Answer: Frog

This is the red-eyed tree frog and it is found naturally in the rainforests of Central America. The red eyes of this brightly coloured frog are used to startle predators when the need arises. The red-eyed tree frog does not have a true pair of eyelids, instead it has a translucent nictitating membrane which allows enough light in whilst the frog rests in order to detect any dangerous foes skulking around.

Answer: Crab

Necora puber is commonly known as the velvet crab or more dramatically, the devil crab. This North Sea crustacean can be found all along the coastline of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland as well as throughout the island chain known as the West Frisian Islands that stretch from the Netherlands to Germany.

Despite its off-putting name, the feisty devil crab is very edible indeed.

Answer: Blow fly

Alongside the red compound eye in the image is a flash of green which helps to identify this particular species as a greenbottle or blow fly. The family of flies known as Calliphoridae are one of a number of subdivisions of the animal kingdom that are of importance to the scientific field of forensic entomology; this is due to blow flies being one of the first creatures to arrive at the carcass of an animal after death. Analysis of the lifecycle of the blow fly can help to determine an approximate time of death.

Answer: Cicada

The periodical cicadas belong to the genus Magicicada and the periodical designation relates to the fact that broods of cicadas go through their entire lifecycle in synchronisation with each other. The pictured cicada is from Brood X (Brood 10 or the Great Eastern Brood) and would have spent the majority of its life as a nymph living underground. Brood X emerges from the ground every seventeen years.

A cicada has both compound eyes and ocelli, the latter of which are used by the insect to detect light intensity.

Answer: Gecko

This thoroughly intriguing creature is the satanic leaf-tailed gecko and it can only be found in one place on Earth - Madagascar! The genus of Uroplatus (meaning "flat tail") is full of bizarre-looking insectivorous lizards that demonstrate successful camouflage that gives them the appearance of a pile of leaves or the bark of a tree. This is not quite so obvious in the image as the satanic red eyes of Uroplatus phantasticus are the focus. The gecko must lick these eyes in order to keep them moist.

Phantasticus comes from the Latin for "imaginary" or "fantastical" and was used in the scientific name to express the disbelief that something that looks like this actually exists!

Answer: Wood duck

The male wood duck is an aesthetically pleasing bird to look at and this is reflected in the scientific name for the species, Aix sponsa, which can be translated from Latin in a few closely related ways but all meaning something akin to "bridal duck" or "betrothed waterfowl". The red eyes of the wood duck play a part in both attracting a mate and intimidating a rival male.

Answer: Short bigeye

Whilst most of the picture has been obscured, the most important part - so far as this quiz is concerned - remains visible. The size of the eye of this fish relative to its head is most certainly on the large size and so it is that Pristigenys alta is commonly referred to as the short bigeye (it is also known as the toro). Out of context one could be forgiven for considering the name of this fish to be an oxymoron but "big" refers to the eye and "short" describes the body.

Answer: Crocodile

Naming conventions sometimes take on a life of their own; the two main issues with the naming of this particular species are that, firstly, the colour is closer to orange than to red (in most cases) and, secondly, the coloured patch is not part of the eye, rather it is the skin surrounding the eye.

It is hard however to argue against the suggestion that this skink looks like a mini-crocodile (if it weren't pixelated of course).

Answer: Vipers (Viperidae)

Whilst the striking red eye of Trimeresurus popeiorum (Pope's pit viper) is clear in the image, the wonderfully vibrant green colour of the snake's head and body has been removed. Pit vipers are so named as a reference to the heat-sensing structures that exist in "pits" between the snake's eye and nostril. The snake is named for husband and wife herpetologists, Clifford H. Pope and Sarah H. Pope.

A hint in the question was provided through describing the snake as being of the venomous kind; pythons are non-venomous constrictors.

Answer: Common Loon

Gavia immer is the scientific name for the common loon and in this picture, the red-eyed duck is hiding in plain sight (often the best way I find)! The species is found in the northern hemisphere and is in particular abundance across Canada (celebrated on their currency) and the United States. The eyes of the common loon are coloured red during the breeding season and are grey for the remainder of the year.

Gavia immer can be translated from Latin into English as "submerged seabird" with immer related to the word "immerse".