Colourful Animals (2) Trivia Quiz

Answer: reptile

The green anaconda is one of the largest and heaviest snakes in the world. It is found in South America and the Caribbean island of Trinidad. It does not have venom but subdues its prey by coiling its body around its prey to prevent it from breathing.

It monitors the prey's heartbeat to decide when to release its coils. Even though it is an apex predator, it may itself be prey to jaguars, black caimans and Orinoco crocodiles.

Answer: reptile

Another South American reptile, the black caiman is a type of crocodile and one of the largest at around 450 kg (1,000 lb) in weight. It is a fresh-water carnivore, eating birds, fish, mammals and other reptiles. Caimans lay eggs and it is the temperature of the nest before the eggs hatch which influences whether a male or female baby caiman is born.

Answer: fish

Found on the eastern seaboard of the US down to the top half of South America, the northern red snapper usually inhabits waters 9-60 m (30-200 ft) in depth. It has a sloped head shape, medium to large scales and spikey dorsal fin. Its sharp teeth go with an opportunistic 'eat anything' attitude.

It commonly grows to 60 cm (24 in) in length, 9 kg (20 lb) in weight and 30 years of age. It is important in commercial fisheries as well as for recreational fishing.

Answer: fish

From the same family of fish as cod, haddock and pollock, the blue whiting occurs mostly in the northeast Atlantic Ocean and parts of the Mediterranean. Commercial fishing started in the 1970s and has drastically reduced fish population levels. It is usually caught for processing into fish meal and oil rather than eaten fresh. With two species in the genus, the other one is the southern blue whiting which occurs in two main cold water regions in the southern hemisphere.

Answer: amphibian

Occurring in eastern US and into southeast Canada, its scientific name Dryophytes versicolor indicates that the frog is variable in colour. It is a bit chameleon-like, being able to change its colour to blend in with its environment although dead gray treefrogs revert mostly to gray.

The female tends to be larger than the male and is attracted to the male during mating season by the male's call. Outside of genetic differences, the Cope's gray treefrog is mainly distinguished by its shorter faster call, except at lower temperatures.

Answer: amphibian

Not to be confused with the two species of yellow-spotted salamander (one endemic to North America, one to China), the yellow-spotted newt comes from the mountains of Lake Urmia in Iran as well as bordering areas in Iraq and southeast Turkey. Its spots tend to whiten with age.

A newt is a type of salamander that is semi-aquatic in habitat and with a rough skin. This particular newt breeds in mountain streams at 1,500-2,000 m (4,900-6,600 ft).

Answer: mammal

One of the rarer species of hyena, it is found in southern countries of Africa. Their long shaggy dark brown coat, pointed ears and short tail are distinguishing features. Their habitat ranges from open woodland savannahs to desert areas where they are mostly nocturnal. Living in clans of four to six individuals, all members help in raising cubs. Unlike those of spotted hyenas, cubs are born with their eyes closed, opening them after eight days.

They are weaned after about a year.

Answer: mammal

There are two types of white rhinoceros with the northern one, with no living males, virtually extinct. In the wild, the southern version lives in southern Africa. The southern white rhino was nearly hunted to extinction at the end of the 19th century, down to perhaps 20 animals.

Whilst there were as many as 18,000 a century later, poaching remains a problem, the motivation being to supply horns for traditional Chinese medicines.

Answer: bird

The silver oriole is one of 41 species of Old World orioles. It breeds in southern China and winters in southeast Asia. New World orioles consist of 31 species found in the Americas. Whilst they are strikingly similar in size, diet, behaviour and plumage, the New Word orioles are not closely related to the Old World ones.

Answer: bird

The goldcrest is amongst the smallest birds found in Europe however it can also be found in Asia, reaching as far as Japan. Its crest is yellow in females and yellow with an orange centre stripe in males. The birds are monogamous, pairing up during breeding season. They have an average life expectancy of only eight months, one of the lowest amongst birds. If birds survive into winter, they may roost in clumps to share heat and increase their chances of survival.