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Quiz about Scientific Road Kill
Quiz about Scientific Road Kill

Scientific Road Kill Trivia Quiz


I describe a commonly found road kill animal, and you identify the proper scientific name of that animal! Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines!

A multiple-choice quiz by ben3. Estimated time: 5 mins.
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Author
ben3
Time
5 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
271,515
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Tough
Avg Score
5 / 10
Plays
1062
Last 3 plays: gracious1 (7/10), Dagny1 (7/10), gme24 (9/10).
Question 1 of 10
1. You're rolling along on Route 66 in Texas, and come across the Official State Roadkill. (Not really! Unofficial, maybe.) What's been squashed? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. This "masked" critter is known for getting into trash cans often, as well as ending up as roadkill. What bandit has been run over here? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. Pee-Yew!! Boy, that dead critter in the middle of the road sure is stinking to high heaven! You could smell it from a mile away! What could it be? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. You're driving through the Ocala National Forest in northern Florida, and you keep seeing what looks like flat, greasy pieces of rope all over the road. What's the roadkill? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. I'm such a classic roadkill victim that they actually invented a video game based on running me over on the road! What am I? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. I'm one of the most commonly-found victims of roadkill, and when I'm not busy raiding your bird feeder, I tempt fate by running in front of cars. When fate wins, I'm easily identified by the bushy tail extending out from the main flattened-out parts of me. What am I? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. I'm well-known for "playing dead," but when you see me doing it in the middle of the road, I'm usually not playing! What am (was) I? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. You would think I'd be at least a little immune to roadkill due to the sturdy shell I live in, but cars are very effective shell-busters! What's the roadkill? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. Man's best friend, and beloved family pet, is unfortunately very often a victim of roadkill. What's my proper name? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. To me, roadkill is like an all-you-can-eat, fly-in buffet. However, while dining, I'm sometimes converted into roadkill myself. What am I? Hint



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Most Recent Scores
Sep 02 2024 : gracious1: 7/10
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Score Distribution

quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. You're rolling along on Route 66 in Texas, and come across the Official State Roadkill. (Not really! Unofficial, maybe.) What's been squashed?

Answer: Dasypus novemcinctus

Better known as the common armadillo, a favorite Texas entry into "roadkill cookoffs." They supposedly make good soups and stews.
2. This "masked" critter is known for getting into trash cans often, as well as ending up as roadkill. What bandit has been run over here?

Answer: Procyon lotor

We're talking raccoons, of course. These industrious critters will eat nearly anything. The Latin word "lotor" translates to "the washer," a reference to the raccoon's habit of washing its food in water before eating.
3. Pee-Yew!! Boy, that dead critter in the middle of the road sure is stinking to high heaven! You could smell it from a mile away! What could it be?

Answer: Mephitis mephitis

Everybody knows about dead skunk roadkill! The Latin translates as "noxious gas, noxious gas." A very well-named animal, I must say. They put it twice because skunks REALLY stink! Roadkill skunk even inspired a classic song by Louden Wainwright III - "Dead skunk in the middle of the road, stinkin' to high Heaven!" A skunk can spray as far away as 12 feet.
4. You're driving through the Ocala National Forest in northern Florida, and you keep seeing what looks like flat, greasy pieces of rope all over the road. What's the roadkill?

Answer: Elaphe obsoleta quadrivittata

It's a snake, of course, a yellow rat snake, more specifically. You'll find many, many species of snake flattened out along the roads, and this is just one of them. Most commonly found in Florida, my home state, the yellow rat snake is also found along the Atlantic coast from Georgia to North Carolina. Definitely roadkill with a southern flair!
5. I'm such a classic roadkill victim that they actually invented a video game based on running me over on the road! What am I?

Answer: Rana catesbeiana

Anyone who's enjoyed a nice game of "Frogger" knows what this is, in this example the bull frog, specifically. This frog is considered to be the largest species in North America, growing as much as 6 inches in length. You would know you hit something if you ran one of these over! They are most commonly found in the marshes and swamps of Ohio.

In Australia, running over the much-reviled cane toad has become something of a national sport!
6. I'm one of the most commonly-found victims of roadkill, and when I'm not busy raiding your bird feeder, I tempt fate by running in front of cars. When fate wins, I'm easily identified by the bushy tail extending out from the main flattened-out parts of me. What am I?

Answer: Sciurus carolinensis

The common gray squirrel, one of the most commonly found varieties of roadkill. This is a strange distinction, considering how agile and crafty they are. But for some reason they have a bad habit of making it safely across the road, then inexplicably reversing course in panic at the sight of an approaching car, running right back into the road in front of the car. I've never understood how an animal smart and agile enough to defeat every device ever invented by man to keep them out of bird feeders can still be dumb enough to run in front of cars!
7. I'm well-known for "playing dead," but when you see me doing it in the middle of the road, I'm usually not playing! What am (was) I?

Answer: Didelphis virginiana

More commonly known as a "possum," the oppossum is another of the more commonly-found roadkill victims. This is probably due to two factors: one, they are known to eat roadkill carrion themselves, thus placing them in the path of vehicles more often than other animals; and two, they are a fairly slow-moving animal. Sounds like a recipe for disaster to me!
8. You would think I'd be at least a little immune to roadkill due to the sturdy shell I live in, but cars are very effective shell-busters! What's the roadkill?

Answer: Gopherus polyphemus

A turtle, of course, in this case a Florida gopher tortoise. The gopher tortoise is a land-burrowing tortoise common to Florida, and as a Floridian I can attest to their propensity for becoming roadkill. Turtle/tortoise species seem naturals to become roadkill due to their slow speed. Abandoned gopher tortoise burrows are popular homes for many other Florida species, particularly snakes.
9. Man's best friend, and beloved family pet, is unfortunately very often a victim of roadkill. What's my proper name?

Answer: Canis lupus familiaris

Sadly, man's best friend, the common dog, is an all-too-frequent victim of roadkill. To avoid such a tragedy, never allow your dog to roam freely through the neighborhood!
10. To me, roadkill is like an all-you-can-eat, fly-in buffet. However, while dining, I'm sometimes converted into roadkill myself. What am I?

Answer: Cathartes aura

I thought I'd end on an ironic note. The turkey vulture, which feeds on carrion and is thus a big fan of roadkill, is sometimes a victim of the very phenomenon that helps it survive. And it only makes sense, since they are out on the roads so often, dutifully helping us remove our roadkill from the highways of America. Hope you enjoyed the quiz!
Source: Author ben3

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