Question 1 of 20Record-holdersEasy
Animal quiz
How well do you really know the animal kingdom? This animal quiz rounds up 20 animal trivia questions about record-breaking wildlife, surprising habitats, clever behavior and the history of our favorite pets, so the whole family can play along.
A free quiz from Megan Moran.
Question 2 of 20WildlifeEasy
What makes up almost all of a giant panda's diet?
Question 3 of 20Record-holdersMedium
What is the largest living fish?
Question 4 of 20HabitatsMedium
Lemurs are native to which island?
Question 5 of 20HabitatsHard
The axolotl, a salamander that keeps its feathery gills as an adult, lives in the wild only in lakes and canals near which city?
Question 6 of 20BehaviorEasy
Which marine mammal often floats on its back and uses a rock to crack open shellfish?
Question 7 of 20WildlifeMedium
Why are flamingos pink?
Question 8 of 20Record-holdersMedium
What is the world's largest rodent?
Question 9 of 20BehaviorHard
Animals that are mostly active at dawn and dusk are described as what?
Question 10 of 20BehaviorEasy
What is a group of lions called?
Question 11 of 20Record-holdersMedium
Which bird can hover in midair and even fly backward?
Question 12 of 20BehaviorMedium
How do honeybees tell their hivemates where to find flowers full of nectar?
Question 13 of 20PetsHard
Wild golden hamsters, the most popular pet hamster species, come from a dry region spanning southern Turkey and which other country?
Question 14 of 20HabitatsEasy
What does a camel store in its hump?
Question 15 of 20HabitatsMedium
Komodo dragons live in the wild only on a handful of islands in which country?
Question 16 of 20Record-holdersHard
Which bird makes the longest known yearly migration of any animal?
Question 17 of 20PetsMedium
Pet guinea pigs were first domesticated in which part of the world?
Question 18 of 20PetsEasy
Which wild animal is the domestic dog's closest living relative?
Question 19 of 20WildlifeMedium
In which animal does the father carry the eggs in a pouch until the babies are born?
Question 20 of 20WildlifeHard
What can the so-called 'immortal jellyfish' do that almost no other animal can?
Answer all 20 to see your score.
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Show all the answers, with the facts behind them
- What is the fastest land animal? CheetahCheetahs can't roar like lions. Instead they purr, chirp and make a shrill, staccato call known as a churr.
- What makes up almost all of a giant panda's diet? BambooPandas have a 'false thumb', an enlarged wrist bone, that helps them grip bamboo stalks while they eat.
- What is the largest living fish? Whale sharkDespite its huge size, this gentle giant is a filter feeder that strains plankton, fish eggs and small fish from the water.
- Lemurs are native to which island? MadagascarThe aye-aye, a nocturnal lemur, uses an extra-long, thin middle finger to pull food out of tiny holes in trees.
- The axolotl, a salamander that keeps its feathery gills as an adult, lives in the wild only in lakes and canals near which city? Mexico CityAxolotls can regrow whole lost limbs and tails, and can even repair heart tissue and parts of the brain.
- Which marine mammal often floats on its back and uses a rock to crack open shellfish? Sea otterSea otters have the densest fur of any mammal, with up to about a million hairs per square inch.
- Why are flamingos pink? Pigments in the food they eatThe American flamingo is the most brightly colored of the six flamingo species, with feathers that can look almost red.
- What is the world's largest rodent? CapybaraThis South American giant has slightly webbed feet and can stay underwater for up to five minutes.
- Animals that are mostly active at dawn and dusk are described as what? CrepuscularDeer, rabbits, foxes and even many house cats are most active in the low light of early morning and evening.
- What is a group of lions called? A prideWithin the group, lionesses usually do the hunting together, while the males rarely join these group hunts.
- Which bird can hover in midair and even fly backward? HummingbirdThe bee hummingbird of Cuba is the smallest living bird, only about 2 inches long.
- How do honeybees tell their hivemates where to find flowers full of nectar? By performing a 'waggle dance'Austrian scientist Karl von Frisch, who helped decode this signal, shared the 1973 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
- Wild golden hamsters, the most popular pet hamster species, come from a dry region spanning southern Turkey and which other country? SyriaDNA studies suggest nearly all pet golden hamsters descend from a single female captured in 1930.
- What does a camel store in its hump? FatA very thirsty camel can drink about 30 gallons of water in roughly 13 minutes.
- Komodo dragons live in the wild only on a handful of islands in which country? IndonesiaIt is the largest living lizard, with males growing up to about 10 feet long.
- Which bird makes the longest known yearly migration of any animal? Arctic ternOver about 30 years, one of these birds may fly a distance equal to about three round trips to the Moon.
- Pet guinea pigs were first domesticated in which part of the world? South AmericaUnlike most mammals, guinea pigs can't make their own vitamin C, so it must come from their food.
- Which wild animal is the domestic dog's closest living relative? Gray wolfDogs were the first species humans domesticated, long before people began farming.
- In which animal does the father carry the eggs in a pouch until the babies are born? SeahorseSeahorses swim upright and often anchor themselves by wrapping their tails around sea grass.
- What can the so-called 'immortal jellyfish' do that almost no other animal can? Revert to an earlier, younger stage of its lifeThis tiny jellyfish's bell measures only about 0.18 inches (4.5 mm) across.
