Mammal Binomials Trivia Quiz

To be more accurate, Ursus arctos is the brown bear. The scientific name means 'bear bear', the first part being Latin and the second coming from the Greek word. It has a northern hemisphere range taking in parts of North America, parts of Europe and a large swathe of Asia. Its larger cousin the polar bear (Ursus maritimus) mostly fills in the gaps and places further north.

Having a relatively-large brain for its size, the bear has been known to use tools. Unlike many animals which mark their land with urine, brown bears rub up against the bark of trees as a way of leaving their scent. In the spring they will also strip the bark off trees to access the sugars in the cambium layer underneath.

The chimpanzee and the closely-related bonobo (Pan peniscus) are the only two members of the Pan genus. 'Pan' is derived from the Greek god Pan who is depicted as being part goat. The other part of the scientific name refers to a mythical race of cave-dwellers mentioned by both Ancient Greeks and Romans. Chimpanzees are not particularly known for cave dwelling or having goat attributes, however they are the closest living animal-relative of humans.

The Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) is in a different genus from the two living African species and is the closest relative to the extinct mammoth. The Latin genus name is borrowed from the Greek for elephant. The Asian elephant has smaller round ears compared to the larger Africa-shaped ears of its African cousins as well as being less-commonly tusked. The lozenge-shaped enamel of the molar teeth is the source of the Loxodonta genus name for the African species.

The domestic goat (Capra hicus) was one of the earliest livestock animals to be domesticated. This was around 10,000 years ago from the wild bezoar ibex found these days in the Zagros Mountains of Iran. It was formerly widespread in Asia Minor. The goat is closely related to the sheep, both being members of the Bovidae family, although any hybrids are always infertile.

Equus ferus is the wild horse. There are three sub-species generally recognised and these account for all modern domesticated horses, the Eurasian wild horse and Przewalski's horse. There are various species that have gone extinct and some feral horses that were once domesticated varieties. The wild horse shares the Equus genus with zebras and asses.

The jaguar is the only Panthera species found in the Americas and probably arrived from Asia via the era of the land bridge in the Bering Strait region. The 'onca' part of the name comes from the Portuguese for a spotted cat. The black panther is a colour variation of the normal jaguar's spotted colouring. The jaguar has a strong bite which has resulted in the unusual technique of killing some of its prey by biting through the skull into the brain.

Gigantic long-foot is a literal translation of Macropus giganteus, which is the scientific name for the eastern grey kangaroo. The term 'kangaroo' is used for marsupials in the subfamily Macropodinae which also includes the Dendrolagus and Osphranter species. Smaller-sized members of this family include wallabies, with walleroos fitting in between size-wise. Marsupials are mammals where the female has a pouch on the abdomen in which it rears its young.

The house mouse bears the binomial name 'Mus musculus'. Both Latin words, 'mus' means 'mouse' while 'musculus' means 'little mouse' or 'little muscle'. The mouse has had a long association with humans as a pet. More recently, its use in laboratories has resulted in its entire genetic sequence being mapped.

It serves as an important model organism in the field of medical research. Wild populations live typically less than a year, in part due to high predation and harsh environments. They are native to India but have spread somewhat.

Lutra lutra is the Eurasian otter with the Latin word 'lutra' meaning 'otter'. There are over a dozen species of these semi-aquatic carnivores. As you would expect, these playful animals are reasonably good at holding their breath. They also have webbed feet. Warmth in water is achieved by a layer of dense insulated underfur with outer guard hairs which combine to trap a layer of air, which also makes them more buoyant.

The wolf (Canis lupus) has a range covering North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. More than thirty sub-species are recognised of which the dog is probably the most familiar. The Latin name means 'dog wolf'. They are social animals, living and hunting in packs with communication by scent, body language and vocalisation.

As with most dogs, their sense of smell is good, in the order of 100 times more sensitive than humans.