Tennessee Williams wrote a few pieces with animals in the title, such as "Tiger Tail" (1971); however, it is the play "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" (1955) which is being referred to here. This was an adaptation of his 1952 short story "Three Players of a Summer Game". The play won a Pulitzer Prize for Drama and explores relationships within a wealthy cotton tycoon's family.
2. Dodge
Answer: Viper
The Dodge Viper is an American sports car that was built by Chrysler (part of Stellantis) for around 25 years from the 1990s, with a couple of breaks. Three generations of the vehicle came out of Detroit in addition to Viper-based vehicles such as the Italian car manufacturer Alfa Romeo's Zagato TZ3 Stradale and the Bristol Fighter made by the British manufacturer Bristol Cars. Chrysler also launched the action-adventure TV series "Viper" (1994-1998) to promote the vehicle.
3. Dian Fossey
Answer: Gorilla
American Dian Fossey is best known for her work with mountain gorillas, first in the Congo and then Rwanda. Her 1983 memoir "Gorillas in the Mist" was the basis of the 1988 film of the same name, starring Sigourney Weaver as Fossey. Her work brought her increasingly into conflict with poachers and Rwandan authorities.
She was found killed in 1985 with an American assistant convicted of the murder in absentia by a Rwandan court.
4. Napoleon of "Animal Farm"
Answer: Pig
"Animal Farm" is the 1945 satirical novella by George Orwell which uses anthropomorphic animals to portray early Soviet events. Stalin's role was portrayed by Napoleon, a pig who ousts the pig Snowball (echoing Leon Trotsky) to lead the animals at Manor Farm, gradually taking on increasingly human habits. It was written during a time when the Soviet Union was a wartime ally and Orwell had difficulty finding a publisher. As the Cold War era arose, it proved to be an enduring commercial success.
5. Messenger
Answer: Pigeon
Homing pigeons or carrier-pigeons have been used to carry messages for thousands of years; Julius Caesar is recorded as using them when conquering Gaul. During the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871), Paris was under siege for over four months with carrier-pigeons being the most effective way to send messages. Balloons were used to take them to the starting point. Use of Dagron microfilms allowed higher quantities of messages to be carried. Carrier-pigeons as message carriers were also important during World War One.
6. Greyfriars Bobby
Answer: Dog
This is a reference to the tale of a 19th-century dog called Bobby said to have spent 14 years beside the grave of John Gray, a nightwatchmen, in Greyfriars Kirkyard, Edinburgh, Scotland. There are several versions of the story with the dog being either a Skye Terrier or a Dandie Dinmont Terrier. One version was novelised in a 1912 book by Eleanor Atkinson, telling the story from the dog's viewpoint.
This was adapted for film in "Challenge to Lassie" (1949), where Lassie replaces Bobby, and "Greyfriars Bobby" (1961).
7. Seabiscuit
Answer: Horse
A champion thoroughbred Great Depression-era racehorse from America, Seabiscuit had mixed results in his first 40 races but, with a change of trainer, his scorecard improved. Named American Horse of the Year in 1938, only one major race had eluded him at the time.
After recovering from an injury, this was remedied in 1940 when he won the San Antonio Handicap or "The Hundred Grander", nicknamed as such for its prize purse. Seabiscuit retired to stud duties shortly thereafter.
8. Survivor song
Answer: Tiger
"Eye of the Tiger" (1982) was a song by American rock band Survivor written as the theme song for the 1982 sports drama film "Rocky III". It was released from the album of the same name as well as being on the film's soundtrack album. The lyrics were derived from the film dialogue with chord changes coinciding with punches in boxing scenes.
The title comes from a line spoken by the character Apollo Creed. It topped the charts in multiple countries.
9. Dazzle of ...
Answer: Zebra
The expression is a dazzle of zebras. The name reflects the black-and-white striped coat of the zebra. It is theorised that the stripes are a camouflage and a moving herd of such striped animals creates a motion dazzle that makes it harder for predators to focus on individual animals.
This does not seem to work in practice with lions, although the stripes do appear to deter blood-sucking insects and hence help protect against equine diseases. Since the stripe pattern is unique to each animal, it also appears to help with identification between individual animals.
10. Source of the word "vaccine"
Answer: Cow
British physician David Jenner discovered a technique for conferring immunity to smallpox in 1796. This used material from a cowpox lesion in a process Jenner called 'vaccination'. Cowpox is a closely-related but much milder virus than the smallpox virus. The words 'vaccination' and 'vaccine' come from the Latin word 'vaccinus', meaning 'of or from the cow'.
This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor trident before going online.
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