Scaly or Not, Here They Come! Trivia Quiz

Answer: Scaly

Pangolins are the only mammals covered completely in scales. These large, hard scales are made of keratin, the same material found in human fingernails. When threatened, a pangolin curls into a tight ball so its scales act like armor against predators. Pangolins also have very long, sticky tongues that they use to eat ants and termites. They have poor eyesight but a strong sense of smell that helps them find food. Pangolins live in parts of Africa and Asia and spend much of their time alone.

Sadly, pangolins are believed to be the most trafficked mammals in the world because people illegally hunt them for their scales and meat. Conservation groups are working to protect them because several species are now endangered.

Answer: Scaly

Armadillos are mammals known for the hard, scale-like armor that covers their backs, heads, legs, and tails. Their armor is made of plates of bone covered by small overlapping scales called scutes, which are made of keratin, like human fingernails. These scutes are connected by flexible collagen fibers, allowing the armor to bend and curve with the armadillo's body while still providing protection from predators. Some species, like the three-banded armadillo, can even roll into a ball so that only their armored scales are exposed.

Armadillos use their sharp claws to dig for insects, grubs, and other small animals in the soil. They are mostly found in the Americas, especially in South and Central America. One unusual fact about armadillos is that they almost always give birth to identical quadruplets. They are also one of the few animals besides humans that can naturally carry the bacteria that causes leprosy.

Answer: Scaly

Musky rat-kangaroos are small marsupials found only in the shrinking rainforests of northern Australia. They are the only living members of their family, the Hypsiprymnodontidae. Scientists consider them "living fossils" because fossils from about 20 million years ago look very similar to modern musky rat-kangaroos. Ancient relatives, called giant rat-kangaroos, once grew much larger with some reaching the size of modern kangaroos-and may even have been partly carnivorous predators.

Musky rat-kangaroos have soft reddish-brown fur, slender faces, small rounded ears, and long tails and have small keratinous scales on the palms of their hands and the soles of their feet. These scales help them grip branches and climb through the rainforest. They move with a mixture of hopping and walking and spend their days searching for fruit, insects, worms, and nuts on the forest floor.

Answer: Scaly

African flying squirrels, also called scaly-tailed squirrels, are gliding rodents found in West African rainforests, where they live in trees with relatively smooth bark that are harder to grip. They have a very unusual keratin-based scaly organ at the base of the underside of their tail. This structure is made of rows of small, tough scales supported by glands that keep them flexible, and it acts like a special gripping pad. In smaller species, it is made of many tiny smooth scales, while in larger species it forms 14 bigger triangular scales with sharp edges that help dig into bark. This adaptation works like a "fifth limb," helping the animal hold onto branches and stay stable on very smooth surfaces, even on steep angles, while resting or climbing.

Their most famous feature is a skin membrane called a patagium, which stretches between their limbs and allows them to glide long distances between trees. Their long tails act like rudders, helping them steer and balance while airborne. They are mostly active at night and feed on fruits, nuts, and insects high in the forest canopy.

Answer: Scaly

Beavers are large, semi-aquatic, rodents known for building dams and lodges in rivers and streams. Their flat, paddle-shaped tail is covered in tough, leathery skin with small overlapping scale-like plates that help protect it and assist with swimming and balance in the water. This tail is one of their most distinctive features and acts like a tool for steering, storing fat, and slapping the water as a warning signal. Beavers use their strong teeth to cut down trees and branches, which they then use to build dams that create ponds where they can live safely. Their webbed back feet help them swim, while their front paws are used for carrying and digging materials.

In colonial New France, food shortages sometimes forced settlers and Catholic communities to rethink dietary rules. Because beavers have large, fatty tails that were seen as especially nutritious, people questioned whether they could be eaten on fasting days when meat was forbidden. Church authorities sent the question to theologians in Paris, who concluded that the beaver's tail made the animal acceptable to classify as a fish. This ruling allowed beavers to be eaten during religious fasting periods, helping people survive difficult conditions while still following Church rules.

Answer: Not scaly

Elephants are the largest land animals on Earth and have thick, wrinkled skin, which is not made of scales but is actually tough, sensitive skin. Even though they are not scaly animals, their skin has deep folds that help hold moisture and protect them from sun and insects. Elephants have no body scales, but they do have thick toenails made of keratin that help support their massive weight.

They have long trunks, which they use for breathing, drinking, grabbing food, and communicating. They also have large ears that help regulate body temperature by releasing heat. Elephants live in parts of Africa and Asia and are highly intelligent, social animals that form strong family groups.

Answer: Not scaly

Gerbils are small rodents that live in dry desert and grassland regions, mainly in Africa and Asia. They do not have scales; instead, their bodies are covered in soft fur that helps protect them from heat and cold in harsh environments. Gerbils use their strong back legs to dig burrows where they sleep, store food, and hide from predators.

They are active and curious animals, often seen standing on their hind legs to look around or listen for danger. Their long fur-covered tails help them balance when they move quickly across open ground.

Answer: Not scaly

Anteaters are mammals found in Central and South America with long snouts and extremely sticky tongues, which they use to eat ants and termites. They are covered in coarse fur that helps protect them from sun and insect bites, especially when they are trying to eat said insects! They get at those insects with their strong front claws, which they use to break into ant and termite nests and also use to defend themselves from predators.

Anteaters have poor eyesight but an excellent sense of smell that helps them find insect colonies underground or inside logs. Their long tails help with balance, especially in species that climb or rest in trees. Even though they look unusual, they are well adapted to their environment and play an important role in controlling insect populations.

Answer: Not scaly

Stoats are small, fast predators found across Europe, Asia, and North America. They do not have scales and, in fact, their bodies are covered in thick brown fur that helps them stay warm and blend into their surroundings. In colder northern regions, their fur can turn white in winter except for the black tip of their tail. At this point they not only molt their fur, but change their name as well. When they are white, we call them ermine - and kill them even more for this great color to make coats and hats and things for truly dangerous predators, like members of the House of Lords.

Stoats have long, slim bodies that help them squeeze into burrows to hunt small animals like mice and rabbits. They are extremely quick and aggressive hunters for their size, relying on speed and sharp teeth rather than strength. Their agility makes them highly effective predators in grasslands, forests, and tundra environments.

Answer: Not scaly

Bats are the only mammals capable of true powered flight. They do not have scales covering their bodies; instead, they are covered in fur that helps keep them warm while flying at night. Unlike most birds, which have scales on their legs and feet, bats have bare skin and claws on their feet rather than scales. The skin on their wings is thin, flexible, and leathery, stretching between their long finger bones like a natural parachute. Some bats also have tiny rough bumps and ridges on parts of their wing and foot skin that help with gripping and movement.

Bats use echolocation, sending out high-pitched sounds and listening to the echoes, to navigate and hunt insects in the dark. Different species eat insects, fruit, nectar, fish, or even small animals, and of course three species famously feed solely on blood.