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Quiz about Honey Wheres the Iriomote
Quiz about Honey Wheres the Iriomote

Honey, Where's the Iriomote? Trivia Quiz


The Iriomote is a small wild cat that is critically endangered. What do you know about the Iriomote cat?

A multiple-choice quiz by salami_swami. Estimated time: 4 mins.
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Author
salami_swami
Time
4 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
350,913
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
7 / 10
Plays
414
Awards
Top 35% Quiz
Last 3 plays: Guest 72 (2/10), callie_ross (1/10), Jaydel (5/10).
Question 1 of 10
1. The Iriomote cat is so named because it lives on only one tiny little island; Iriomote island.

Which island nation claims Iriomote, home of the Iriomote cat?
Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. Locals know the Iriomote cat by many names in the native language, including one that is palindromatic. Which of these names means "the cat in the mountain" in Japanese? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. In 2007, there were between 100 and 109 Iriomote cats left in existence. With this small number, in 2008, they were given a conservation status. Which would be the appropriate status given based on the above stats? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. When comparing the skull of an Iriomote cat to that of the leopard cat, it is very much the same, except for one thing. What is different about the Iriomote cat's skull? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. The Iriomote cat is the most active during the twilight hours. What word would describe this behavior the best? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. Like most carnivores, the Iriomote cat must compete with other carnivores for its food. Which of these is its biggest competition? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. Most wild cats, if they catch a bird that is too large, will do something to the bird before eating it. The Iriomote, however, does not. What method is usually used by cats, except the Iriomote cat? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. Almost every wild cat will snap the spinal column to kill their prey. The Iriomote cat, though, does no such thing. What method does this cat use for its prey? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. On Iriomote Island, special signs featuring the Iriomote cat appear on the side of the road. What kind of sign? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. Peculiar; some claim the Iriomote cat not to be the only feline to inhabit the island. Some have claimed to spot a wild cat about twice the size of the Iriomote, but still use one of the Iriomote's names to describe it. Which name is often used to describe this cryptic cat? Hint



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Most Recent Scores
Mar 27 2024 : Guest 72: 2/10
Mar 24 2024 : callie_ross: 1/10
Mar 15 2024 : Jaydel: 5/10
Feb 16 2024 : turaguy: 4/10

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quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. The Iriomote cat is so named because it lives on only one tiny little island; Iriomote island. Which island nation claims Iriomote, home of the Iriomote cat?

Answer: Japan

The Iriomote cat, a subspecies of the leopard cat, is found only on the tiny island of Iriomote, Japan. Since this is the only island where the species can be found, it has the distinction of having the smallest distribution of any wild cat species in the world.
2. Locals know the Iriomote cat by many names in the native language, including one that is palindromatic. Which of these names means "the cat in the mountain" in Japanese?

Answer: A Yamamaya

The locals of the island of Iriomote know the cat by several names, including 'yamamaya' (note that it is a palindrome only if you call it "A yamamaya"). "Yamamaya" means 'the cat in the mountain'. They also call the cat a yamapikarya, meaning "that which shines on the mountains", and the mepisukarya, meaning "that which has flashing eyes".

These names are generally no longer in use, however, and the Japanese refer to it now as the "Iriomote-yameneko".
3. In 2007, there were between 100 and 109 Iriomote cats left in existence. With this small number, in 2008, they were given a conservation status. Which would be the appropriate status given based on the above stats?

Answer: Critically Endangered

If there are less than 250 animals left in the wild, the number is declining, and consists of a single subpopulation, that animal becomes "critically endangered". Unfortunately for the Iriomote cat, it fits the bill, as it is constantly on the decline.

When the status was given, the Iriomote cat still lived in the wild, and therefore was not considered "extinct in the wild" (which means there are only animals in captivity of the species, and have no wild populations).
4. When comparing the skull of an Iriomote cat to that of the leopard cat, it is very much the same, except for one thing. What is different about the Iriomote cat's skull?

Answer: It's thicker

The Iriomote cat has a longer and narrower skull than that of a regular housecat, but it is similar to the leopard cat's skull. However, the Iriomote cat's skull is much thicker, which also means the cat's brain is much smaller. In the same sized skull, a leopard cat's brain weighs roughly 42 grams, but an Iriomote's brain weights only 30 grams.

Talk about being thick-skulled!
5. The Iriomote cat is the most active during the twilight hours. What word would describe this behavior the best?

Answer: Crepuscular

The Iriomote cat prefers to spend its daytime sleeping in tree hollows or in caves. They become the most active during the twilight hours, which makes them crepuscular. They are often considered nocturnal, as they are active throughout the night; however, their main 'hours of operation', so to speak, is during the twilight hours.
6. Like most carnivores, the Iriomote cat must compete with other carnivores for its food. Which of these is its biggest competition?

Answer: There is no competition

Though all the mentioned carnivores can be found in Japan, none are found on Iriomote Island. In fact, the Iriomote cat is the only carnivore on the entire island, so it can choose from a wide variety of animals. Their diet includes fish, amphibians, birds, small mammals, rodents, and even young wild boar.


Sometimes, though, house cats do cause a bit of trouble for the Iriomote cat. Though house cats do not exclusively feed on the Iriomote's prey, they have given the Iriomote some hardships with finding food.
7. Most wild cats, if they catch a bird that is too large, will do something to the bird before eating it. The Iriomote, however, does not. What method is usually used by cats, except the Iriomote cat?

Answer: Plucking the feathers off

Most wild cats, should a bird be too big to swallow whole, will pluck the feathers off so it will go down more easily. The Iriomote cat, however, does things differently. Even if a bird appears too large for them, they will eat it whole anyway.
8. Almost every wild cat will snap the spinal column to kill their prey. The Iriomote cat, though, does no such thing. What method does this cat use for its prey?

Answer: It holds prey in its mouth

Most wild cats snap the spinal column of their prey to render them immobile, and then it will eat the prey. Few others crush the trachea with their jaws, effectively suffocating prey (often used on much larger prey, by larger felines). The Iriomote, however, does neither.

Instead, it simply holds the prey in its mouth. The prey, of course, wants nothing more than to escape; after a while, the prey will simply stop moving, be it from fatigue, bleeding out (it's in the cat's teeth, remember), or any other reason.

Then the Iriomote feasts.
9. On Iriomote Island, special signs featuring the Iriomote cat appear on the side of the road. What kind of sign?

Answer: Iriomote crossing

Perhaps we are familiar with deer crossing signs, kangaroo crossings, zebra crossings, and the like, but perhaps we are unfamiliar with Iriomote crossings. Yes, on the island, there are signs on roads warning motorists of Iriomotes. In fact, one major reason for the decline of the wild cat is due to road accidents between a car and a small cat. A car usually wins such a battle.
10. Peculiar; some claim the Iriomote cat not to be the only feline to inhabit the island. Some have claimed to spot a wild cat about twice the size of the Iriomote, but still use one of the Iriomote's names to describe it. Which name is often used to describe this cryptic cat?

Answer: Yamapikarya

A larger cat supposedly lives on the island of Iriomote, though no records show it exists for certain. It is often referred to as a yamapikarya (used to describe both the Iriomote and the cryptid), kunzumaya, or toutouyaa. Like most cryptid animals of the world, stories have been told of the yamapikarya, but nobody has been able to prove these stories with remains of the cat; not even a photo. Because of its larger size, the cat would also need a larger habitat to live in. Because of the small size of Iriomote island, it is believed that only ten of these larger cats, should they exist, would be able to live on the island at any one time. If there were only ten animals on the island, it would be fairly easy to miss; very elusive indeed.
Source: Author salami_swami

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Tizzabelle before going online.
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