Scientific Names Trivia Quiz

In this quiz, I will give the scientific name for a certain organism. It's your job to choose the correct common name for each scientific name. Good luck!

A multiple-choice quiz by raidersruleall. Estimated time: 5 mins.

Author
raidersruleall

Time
5 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
307,083

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
15

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
10 / 15

Plays
3300

Awards
Top 20% Quiz

Last 3 plays: Guest 194 (5/15), Guest 174 (8/15), Guest 216 (12/15).

This quiz has 2 formats: you can play it as a or as shown below.
Scroll down to the bottom for the answer key.

1. Popularized by such figures as Tony and Sher Khan, which feline species has the scientific name "Panthera tigris"? Hint

Lion

Panther

Tiger

Leopard

NEXT>

2. Australia is rich with diverse creatures that cannot be found in many other regions of the world. Which species native to Australia is classified as "Vombatus ursinus"? Hint

Common Wombat

Koala

Kangaroo

Dingo

3. When people think of bears, cute and fuzzy are not two adjectives that usually come to mind. Those who decided the scientific name for this bear also did not have those two adjectives in mind when assigning a scientific name. Which species of bear is "Ursus arctos horribilis"? Hint

Panda Bear

Black Bear

Grizzly Bear

Polar Bear

NEXT>

4. This is one of the scariest creatures on the planet. Immortalized in movies and inspiring fear in many beachgoers, which underwater species is classified as "Carcharodon carcharias"? Hint

Great White Shark

Hammerhead Shark

Tiger Shark

Orca

NEXT>

5. This canine species used to roam freely along much of eastern North America, but today it can only be found between the states of Florida and Texas. Which canine species has the scientific name "Canis rufus"? Hint

Gray (Grey) Wolf

Red Wolf

Gray Fox

Red Fox

NEXT>

6. This flower species was once worshipped by the Incas as a symbol of the gods. What flower is classified as "Helianthus annuus"? Hint

Sunflower

Lily

Daisy

Poppy

NEXT>

7. Zebras are one of the most common animals found in zoos today. This species once had a population of only 100, but it has since been increased to near 700. What species of zebra has the scientific name "Equus zebra"? Hint

Plains Zebra

Quagga

Grant's Zebra

Mountain Zebra

NEXT>

8. This species' scientific name was assigned partly because of its migratory habits in the winter. Which bird is classified as "Turdus migratorius"? Hint

Atlantic Canary

Common Canary

American Robin

European Robin

NEXT>

9. Locusts are most recognized as one of the deadly plagues. One species of locust has plagued parts of Africa and Asia for decades. Which locust species is "Schistocerca gregaria"? Hint

Red Locust

Desert Locust

Migratory Locust

Rocky Mountain Locust

NEXT>

10. This whale is the largest animal in the world. Which whale species is classified as "Balaenoptera musculus"? Hint

Sperm Whale

Blue Whale

Humpback Whale

Killer Whale

NEXT>

11. This is one of the most common farm animals worldwide. What species has the scientific name "Sus domestica" or "Sus scrofa domestica"? Hint

Wild Boar

Yak

Domestic Cow

Domestic Pig

NEXT>

12. This primate species was one of the first animals to be launched into space. What primate is classified as "Pan troglodytes"? Hint

Gibbon

Ape

Chimpanzee

Gorilla

NEXT>

13. This reptile can be found in areas throughout North and South America. Which reptile has the scientific name "Crocodylus acutus"? Hint

American Alligator

American Crocodile

Komodo Dragon

Gecko

NEXT>

14. This colorful species of rhinoceros is distinguished from the others by its pointed upper lip. Which species of rhino is "Diceros bicornis"? Hint

White Rhinoceros

Black Rhinoceros

Blue Rhinoceros

Green Rhinoceros

NEXT>

15. What mammal is scientifically referred to as a "Homo sapiens"? Hint

Dog

Walrus

Cat

Human

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Popularized by such figures as Tony and Sher Khan, which feline species has the scientific name "Panthera tigris"?

Answer: Tiger

Tigers are the largest members of the Panthera genus. Tony the Tiger is the mascot for Frosted Flakes, and Sher Khan was the bad guy in "The Jungle Book".

2. Australia is rich with diverse creatures that cannot be found in many other regions of the world. Which species native to Australia is classified as "Vombatus ursinus"?

Answer: Common Wombat

The wombat is a marsupial found in Australia. The wombat is the closest living relative to the koala, which is not actually a bear though many think of it as one.

Answer: Grizzly Bear

The adjective "grizzly" actually refers to the gray hairs in the grizzly bear's fur, not to its temperament.

4. This is one of the scariest creatures on the planet. Immortalized in movies and inspiring fear in many beachgoers, which underwater species is classified as "Carcharodon carcharias"?

Answer: Great White Shark

One nickname for the great white shark is "white death". Movies such as "Jaws" and "Deep Blue Sea" have portrayed sharks as extremely dangerous creatures. However, based on statistics, people are more likely to die from being struck by lightning or by falling down the stairs than by being attacked by a shark.

Answer: Red Wolf

The red wolf is an endangered species found in the southeastern part of the United States. Efforts are being taken to reintroduce the canine to other states, including New York and North Carolina.

6. This flower species was once worshipped by the Incas as a symbol of the gods. What flower is classified as "Helianthus annuus"?

Answer: Sunflower

The Incas worshipped sunflowers because they saw the flowers as symbols of the sun god. Sunflowers actually follow the sun during the day. In the morning, sunflowers face the east, and as the day goes on, they follow the sun to the west. This behavior is called "heliotropism".

Answer: Mountain Zebra

Mountain zebras are listed as a vulnerable species. The species is native to southern countries in Africa.

8. This species' scientific name was assigned partly because of its migratory habits in the winter. Which bird is classified as "Turdus migratorius"?

Answer: American Robin

American robins can be found throughout North America, but they migrate to southern North America in the winter. Though they are similar, American robins and European robins are not very closely related.

9. Locusts are most recognized as one of the deadly plagues. One species of locust has plagued parts of Africa and Asia for decades. Which locust species is "Schistocerca gregaria"?

Answer: Desert Locust

The desert locust is considered the most dangerous species of locust because of its ability to fly long distances in groups in short amounts of time.

10. This whale is the largest animal in the world. Which whale species is classified as "Balaenoptera musculus"?

Answer: Blue Whale

The blue whale is not only the largest living animal, but it is believed to be the largest animal ever to have existed on Earth. Most blue whales reach lengths of over 100 feet and weights of 190 tons.

11. This is one of the most common farm animals worldwide. What species has the scientific name "Sus domestica" or "Sus scrofa domestica"?

Answer: Domestic Pig

Domestic pigs are usually bred for their meat. They give us pork products such as sausage, bacon, and ham.

12. This primate species was one of the first animals to be launched into space. What primate is classified as "Pan troglodytes"?

Answer: Chimpanzee

Ham the Chimp was launched into space in early 1961. His flight lasted under 20 minutes.

13. This reptile can be found in areas throughout North and South America. Which reptile has the scientific name "Crocodylus acutus"?

Answer: American Crocodile

American crocodiles are mostly found in Florida and some Latin American countries, but they have also been found in South America, Jamaica, and the Dominican Republic.

14. This colorful species of rhinoceros is distinguished from the others by its pointed upper lip. Which species of rhino is "Diceros bicornis"?

Answer: Black Rhinoceros

Though they are two different species, the black rhinoceros and the white rhinoceros both have a grayish color and cannot be distinguished by their colors. They are distinguished by the shapes of their upper lips. The white rhinoceros has a square upper lip, while the black rhinoceros has a pointed upper lip.

15. What mammal is scientifically referred to as a "Homo sapiens"?

Answer: Human

There aren't any other animals quite like humans. We are truly a one of a kind species.

Source: Author raidersruleall

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