Melange of 'I' Animals Trivia Quiz

Answer: aerial

With around 30 living species, the ibis is typically a freshwater wetland wader although some make use of artificially-flooded agricultural land and the Andean ibis lives in high-altitude grassland. The African sacred ibis is linked to the Ancient Egyptian god Thoth.

They were commonly mummified as a votive offering to the god with an estimated eight million undergoing this fate over the course of around 1,000 years, mostly (according to mitochondrial DNA analysis) caught from the wild rather than farmed.

Answer: aerial

Endemic to Hawaii, the 'i'iwi is a highly-distinctive scarlet honeycreeper. The bird has a long downward-curving beak for drinking nectar and has scarlet plumage apart from black wings. It migrates as the flowering season progresses which, in practice, means that it can be found at increasing altitudes as flowering moves uphill through the year. Those that choose to nest at lower elevations and migrate daily for food are susceptible to diseases such as avian malaria and fowlpox.

The mosquito-borne avian malaria causes 90% mortality and, with increasing temperatures, is expected by some to push the bird towards extinction.

Answer: aerial

Featured on the flag of the Commonwealth of Dominica (not to be confused with the Dominican Republic), the imperial amazon or sisserou parrot is endemic to this Caribbean island, part of the Windward Islands, and is designated its national bird. They have zygodactyl feet, with two toes pointed forward and two to the rear.

This helps with tree climbing. They prefer to inhabit the tops of trees in mountain forests above 625 m (2,100 ft) in altitude. Critically endangered, habitat destruction by humans and hurricanes puts pressure on the population.

Answer: aerial

The Indian courser is one of around nine species of courser and is considered part of a superspecies. Coursers are classed as waders and yet they inhabit deserts and other arid areas. The Indian courser is found in the short grassy plains between the Ganges and Indus rivers systems, and in dry zones further south. Rarely on sandy terrain, they mainly eat termites, crickets, beetles and grasshoppers.

Answer: aquatic

Native to Europe and western Asia, the ide or orfe is a freshwater fish that is also popular as an ornamental. As they tend to grow too big for indoor aquaria, they get housed in outdoor ponds from where it is not unusual for them to escape. The species was introduced into North America by a government agency in 1877 and was also illegally introduced into New Zealand as roe during the 1980s, with fish subsequently released into the wild.

The fish are found in the Baltic Sea, which has relatively low salinity, and move into rivers to overwinter.

Answer: aquatic

A fish with many common names, this is a reflection on how widely this freshwater fish is distributed in the Southern Hemisphere. Inanga is its Maori name and it is the main Galaxiid species of five which are caught as whitebait in New Zealand. It is also caught as whitebait in Australia. It spawns in river mouths, spending the first six months of life at sea during their larval stage before returning to freshwater in shoals. If they survive the netting, they metamorphose to adult form a few months before starting the cycle again.

Answer: aquatic

A herring-family member, the ilish is the national fish of Bangladesh and the state fish of West Bengal, India. Not surprisingly, it is an important fish with nearly half a million employed in catching it and another two million or so indirectly involved. It is both marine (down to 200 m (650 ft) depth) and freshwater (up to 100 km (62 mi) inland). Found from Iraq through to Myanmar, Bangladesh accounts for over 95% of the catch. Over-fishing is a problem and fish farming the species has not worked.

Answer: aquatic

Another commercial fish, this one is a freshwater fish belonging to the salmon family, measuring up to 150 cm (59 in) and 27 kg (60 lb). Its range extends from Arctic rivers in the Kola Peninsula of Russia to the Mackenzie River in Canada. It is perhaps no surprise that it is a migratory fish, travelling as much as 1,600 km (1,000 mi) to reach spawning grounds.

Other names include nelma and sheefish.

Answer: terrestrial

The ibex is a type of wild goat existing in six species through North and East Africa and into Eurasia. The male has impressive horns. The earliest the ibex appears in artifacts is around 4,500 years ago in Pakistan although ibex DNA was also found in the stomach of Ötzi, the mummified iceman found in the Austrian alps in 1991, who lived perhaps 5,500 years ago. Nearly made extinct in Europe, the Alpine ibex was saved by the forward-thinking Duke of Savoy and King of Sardinia who banned hunting of the ibex across his estates in 1821, with the ban later extended across the kingdom.

Answer: terrestrial

The impala consists of two species of antelope found in woodlands in East and South Africa. The genus name, Aepyceros, means 'high-horned' and reflects its horns, the name 'impala' comes from a Tswana (a Bantu language) word 'phala' meaning 'red antelope', which is also reflected in the Afrikaans name 'rooibok'.

As a prey animal it is notable for its two anti-predator leaps. In one it can clear 3 m (9.8 ft) in height and cover a distance of 10 m (33 ft). The other involves a series of leaps, mixing landing on its forelegs while kicking its rear legs with stotting (landing on all four legs and springing up).

Answer: terrestrial

One of the largest lemur species, the endangered indri can reach head-body lengths of 72 cm (28.5 in) and weights up to 9.5 kg (21 lb). It has a black and white silky fur and is native to Madagascar. Their groups are matriarchal and relationships monogamous. A feature of indri is that they make loud and distinctive shrieking songs usually as a group. These have been identified as having rhythm components, making the indri one of the few animals to follow categorical rhythms.

Answer: terrestrial

The iguana is a genus of two species of herbivorous lizards native to the Americas from Mexico and further south. The green iguana is the most common with three sub-species recognised. Their herbivorous diet has resulted in a larger head size and more powerful jaw bite than comparable carnivorous and omnivorous lizards. They also have a parietal eye towards the back of the head which is photosensitive. Kept as pets, they have been introduced into the wild in various Pacific countries.