The kea is a large, intelligent parrot endemic to the South Island of New Zealand, living in forested and alpine regions. It is an omnivore and was once hunted for bounty due to the damage it was suspected of causing to livestock. The kea is now a protected animal. It nests in burrows, demonstrates its intelligence by preparing tools and, at times, works together with others for a common goal.
2. kookaburra
Answer: aerial
Found in Australia and New Guinea, the kookaburra is a tree kingfisher. Its name is based on the onomatopoeic Wiradjuri name which echoes its distinctive call. Although part of the kingfisher family, they are not particularly tied to water and rarely eat fish. They are mainly carnivores, eating mice, snakes, reptiles and insects as well as young birds. In the entertainment world, their almost-human laughing call is associated with jungles around the world, regardless of location.
3. killdeer
Answer: aerial
Another onomatopoeic name, the killdeer is a large plover found in the Americas. It is mostly a lowland bird found in beach habitats and coastal wetlands with short vegetation. During migration it may be found outside these habitats. In the breeding season, it may try to distract a predator away from the nest with a broken-wing display. It is mainly an insect eater.
4. kestrel
Answer: aerial
Kestrel is the name given to several species from the falcon genus of predatory birds. It is easily identified by its hunting behaviour, hovering between 10 and 20 metres (35-65 ft) off the ground in open country. When it spots a suitable prey, it will swoop down on it.
The prey is usually ground-based mammals, lizards or insects. Of the 15 species named kestrel, the American kestrel is not now considered a true kestrel but closer to other falcon species such as the peregrine falcon.
5. kōkopu
Answer: aquatic
One of three species of ray-finned fish from the Galaxias genus, the kōkopu is native to the freshwater regions of New Zealand. They lack scales and instead have a thick leathery mucous-covered skin. They mostly feed on invertebrates. Hatchlings from spawning are swept into the sea to spend four or five months there. Returning to streams, kōkopu sprats are netted and eaten as whitebait, considered a seasonal delicacy in New Zealand.
They have also largely disappeared from waterways where trout were introduced for sports fishing.
6. kaluga
Answer: aquatic
Also known as the river baluga, the kaluga is a large sturgeon found in the Amur river basin in North-east Asia and near Hokkaido in Japan. It is prized for its roe and as a result has been hunted to near-extinction. It is one of the larger sturgeons and can grow up to 1,000 kg (2,205 lb) in weight and 5.6 m (18 ft) in length.
It spends most of its life in freshwater and breeds later in life, making its population more vulnerable. River pollution does not help, however it is the illegal fishing which is the greatest threat.
7. kokanee
Answer: aquatic
The kokanee is a non-migratory form of sockeye salmon, spending its life in freshwater. The fish is thought to have separated from the migratory form around 15,000 years ago during a large ice melt. The two types do not interbreed. Genetic evidence from different populations suggests this separation event may have happened more than once.
This is seen by some as sympatric speciation, where a new species forms whilst the old ancestral one continues to inhabit the same geographical region. They are found in lakes in western USA and Canada as well as being introduced in many other US lakes.
8. koi
Answer: aquatic
Koi or nishikigoi (meaning brocaded carp) are coloured varieties of carp which have been bred for ornamental purposes. The carp was originally domesticated in China for food consumption. It is not clear when the domesticated carp came to Japan. There are archaeological records of various pre-history carp in Japan and written records of coloured carp in the Middle Ages, however systematic breeding of the ornamental version started in Niigata Prefecture in the 1820s. Koi fish were developed mostly from the Amur carp. Goldfish is another carp that was selectively bred for colour by the Chinese.
9. kob
Answer: terrestrial
An impala-like antelope, the kob is found in Africa and is restricted now to a latitude band that runs east to west across central Africa. Uganda is one part of its range, with the country featuring a species of kob on its coat of arms. Kobs are migratory and congregate in herds of perhaps thousands of mostly females, being more social than the territorial males.
The males are either territorial, keeping a harem of females herded, or form leks which feature clusters of males in feeding areas that, as a result, attract the females to them.
The central position of the lek is most desirable with males competing for this position.
10. kodkod
Answer: terrestrial
The kodkod is a kind of wild cat. The smallest of the felid species, it lives mainly in Chile and is one of eight species in the Leopardus genus. It has a dark-spotted coat, pale underside and a ringed tail. It grows to between 37 and 51 cm ( 15 to 20 in) with a 20-25 cm (8-10 in) tail. It is threatened by habitat loss, hunting and disease spread by domestic cats and dogs.
It has a reputation for raiding chicken runs with a preference for eating the heads of chickens. It has a poor reputation as a result in rural communities. The alternative name for the kodkod, namely güiña, has come to describe shady members of society such as thieves or corrupt politicians.
11. kinkajou
Answer: terrestrial
The kinkajou is a strictly nocturnal tree-loving mammal that is related to the raccoon amongst other animals. It occupies its own genus and has many names such as honey bear (as does the unrelated sun bear). It is native to Mexico, through Central and into South America.
It is hunted for its meat, skin and for the pet trade. Although classified as a carnivore, its diet is 90% fruit (mostly figs) and much of the remaining 10% is flowers, herbs and nectar. Its 13 cm (5 in) tongue for extracting nectar means it has a pollination role such as for Balsa trees with their nighttime-open flowers.
12. koala
Answer: terrestrial
There are various 'k' animals to be found in Australia including the kowari, kultarr and the koala. The koala is not a bear but an arboreal herbivorous marsupial. So it lives in trees, eats mostly eucalypt leaves and has a pouch for its young (a joey) to begin its early development.
The joey emerges from the pouch at six or seven months to move to its mother's back for another six months. In the wild if a koala survives bush fires, it can live until its teeth wear out after which it dies of starvation, typically at between 13 and 18 years of age.
This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor rossian before going online.
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