A Selection of Animals for Curious Kids Quiz

Answer: Blue whale

The blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) is the largest animal on Earth and the largest mammal that lives in the ocean. Adult blue whales can weigh more than 200 tons and can reach almost 30 meters in length. A blue whale can eat up to four tons of krill in a day. They live alone or in small groups, usually as a mother-child pair.

Blue whales can have babies, called calves, when they reach age 10 and can give birth every 2 or 3 years. The National Geographic Society sponsored a very interesting movie named "Kingdom of the Blue Whale", 2009.

Answer: A Pack

A group of dogs is referred to as a pack or sometimes as a kennel. The scientific name for dogs is Canis familiaris. They have sharp teeth and an excellent sense of smell and hearing. Dogs were the first animals to be domesticated by humans. Over the years, different breeds of dogs were developed for different purposes, such as hunting, pulling sleds, herding farm animals, etc.

There is a real army of working dogs with important roles in society such as searching for explosives, drugs or missing people. My brother is blind and has a guide dog that helps him get around.

Answer: Eucalyptus leaves

Koalas, which many think are a kind of bear, are actually marsupials (a mammal with a pouch for the development of offspring). They sleep almost all day long.

The eucalyptus tree plays a fundamental role for koalas, as it is not only a source of food but also a habitat for them. Koalas consume about 500g (1 pound) of eucalyptus leaves every day and hardly drink any water since they get liquid from the leaves. It can be said that when koalas are not sleeping, they are eating. As they eat a lot of eucalyptus leaves they often smell like them!

Answer: Bats

Bats are the only mammals that can truly fly. There are almost 900 species of bats, which are found around the world, usually living in dark places such as caves.

Most bats live in large groups, sleeping during the day, hanging upside down by their feet while asleep. They usually feed on insects. What we have to remember is that baby bats, like all mammals, feed on milk from their mothers.

Answer: A Giraffe

Although the horse, the lion and the elephant are large animals, none are as tall as adult giraffes. The giraffe is the world's tallest land animal. It can measure 5.5 meters high; what stands out is the length of their necks, which can be 2.4 meters long and their tongues, blue-gray dark, can measure up to 45cm. The height of giraffes allows them to reach the top of the trees and obtain leaves and brows. They sleep very little and spend 16 to 20 hours eating every day.

The giraffe's body is covered with a pattern of spots whose color varies from yellow to black. The spots are like human finger-prints. No giraffe has the same pattern of spots as any other giraffe.

Answer: Lions

Jaguars, cheetahs and leopards are animals that have different shapes and types of spots. The spots, besides characterizing them, serve as camouflage enabling them to hunt without being seen.

Most adult lions have no visible spots. They are covered with yellowish-brown hair. Males are easily identifiable because of their manes, coarse hair that grows on their head, neck and shoulders. Lionesses do not have manes.

Answer: Three

The octopus belongs to the group of animals called mollusks, to which squids, clams and oysters also belong. The octopus has large eyes, a soft body and eight long tentacles that can move in any direction. They can change color quickly depending on the environment or their mood.

Octopuses have three hearts, one that accounts for the circulation of oxygenated blood around the body and two branchial hearts that pump blood through the gills to the main heart for oxygenation. Scientists believe the common octopus is the most intelligent invertebrate.

Answer: A Tiger

Among the animals with stripes are hyenas, tigers and zebras. Tigers are carnivores and are the biggest feline. Tigers can grow more than 1 meter high, 3 meters long, including the tail, and weigh between 160 to 290kg. They are recognized for their coat of reddish orange fur with dark vertical stripes.

Tigers hunt alone at night; they usually hide in the vegetation and attack their prey with claws, biting the animal's neck. Tigers normally come together only to mate. Unlike other cats, tigers like water and swim well.

Answer: False

False. Not all birds can fly. The flightless birds are birds that, through the evolutionary process, have lost the ability to fly. Currently, there are about 60 species of birds that cannot fly.

The best known flightless birds are ostriches, emus, cassowaries, kiwis and penguins. The ostrich is not only the largest bird but also the largest and heaviest flightless bird. The penguin cannot fly but has the ability to swim and dive. Poultry such as chickens and ducks are able to make short and low flights.

Answer: A Lion

The lion is the second largest member of the cat family. It is nicknamed "the king of beasts". Lions are the only animals among felines that live in groups. A group of lions is called a "pride" and is usually made up of about 15 animals from several generations.

The pride is made up of related lionesses, one or two lions and their "cubs", as baby lions are called. Lionesses usually do most of the pride's hunting.