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1. On which continent is the slow loris found?
Answer: Asia
Interesting Information:The slow loris can be found in various Asian countries including India, Bangladesh and China. There are a selection of different species including the Bornean slow loris, the pygmy slow loris and the Sunda slow loris.
Difficulty: Hard.
From Quiz: The Slow Loris
Some incorrect choices:
Africa, Europe, Australia
2. When the Cross River gorilla encounters humans, what unusual behavior have they been observed displaying?
Answer: Throwing sticks
Interesting Information:When most gorillas encounter humans they usually run and hide. They are very rarely aggressive to humans. The Cross River gorilla has been seen throwing sticks, rocks and clumps of grass at humans who enter their territory. They display their great intelligence by treating humans as the threat that they really are.
Difficulty: Hard.
From Quiz: Endangered: The Cross River Gorilla
Some incorrect choices:
Running and hiding, Climbing trees, Jumping into the river
3. Which aptly named, loud, monkeys with long prehensile tails can be found in the forests of Central and South America?
Answer: Howler monkeys
Interesting Information:Howler monkeys may very well be the loudest land mammal, and are often most vocal at dawn and dusk. They live in family groups of 10 - 15 and eat mostly fruit and nuts.
Difficulty: Very Easy.
From Quiz: Monkey Business
Some incorrect choices:
Baboons, Spider monkeys, Cotton top tamarins
4. Snowflake the gorilla was the most famous resident of the Barcelona Zoo. His children and grandchildren aren't anything like him in appearance though. What made Snowflake so unique?
Answer: He was the only known albino gorilla in the world
Interesting Information:Snowflake was born in 1964 in Equatorial Guinea and captured by an ethnic farmer. His entire troop was slaughtered, but he was spared for his rarity. He was later sold to a man who worked for the Barcelona Zoo. Lovingly raised by a veterinarian and his wife for a short time, they eventually had to give him up when he grew larger. The Barcelona Zoo became his new home where he was adored by visitors from all over the world. During his time at the zoo, he fathered 21 children (6 lived until adulthood), and 10 grandchildren. He did not pass on his albinism to any of his descendants. He remained at the zoo until his death in 2003 from skin cancer.
Difficulty: Easy.
From Quiz: Chimp Off the Old Block
Some incorrect choices:
He adapted to a polar climate, He liked to throw snowballs at the visitors, He had a large birthmark in the shape of a snowflake
5. Where in the world do these noisy monkeys live?
Answer: South and Central America
Interesting Information:They choose to live in the rain forests in tall trees where they are known to walk (yes walk) from tree to tree without coming to the ground. They are the largest of the New World monkeys.
Difficulty: Average.
From Quiz: Those Howling Monkeys
Some incorrect choices:
Southern Africa, Eastern Africa, India
6. Where do lemurs live in the wild?
Answer: Madagascar
Interesting Information:Madagascar was separated from the other continents over 60 million years ago, and lemurs evolved there in complete isolation. They come in many shapes and sizes, to fill various niches in the animal kingdom. They are known as prosimians which means before monkeys. Monkeys and apes evolved in the rest of the world, but lemurs have remained in Madagascar.
Difficulty: Easy.
From Quiz: Where's the Lemur?
Some incorrect choices:
Indonesia, Amazon rainforest, Tasmania
7. Given its distinctive hairdo, which primate is known as the "Liszt Monkey"?
Answer: Cotton-top tamarin
Interesting Information:The cotton-top tamarin has long, swept back hair, which is said to resemble the hairstyle of Franz Liszt, although I doubt he is as small. The tamarins are native to Central and South America.
Difficulty: Hard.
From Quiz: Are You Ready, Kids? Aye-aye, Captain!
Some incorrect choices:
Pygmy marmoset, Uakari, Douc langur
8. Which monkey is known as the only truly nocturnal monkey?
Answer: owl monkey
Interesting Information:As its name indicates, the owl monkey has large owl-like eyes, typical of nocturnal animals. While many prosimian species are nocturnal, this is the only species of monkey (or ape) that is.
Difficulty: Hard.
From Quiz: Primatology
Some incorrect choices:
squirrel monkey, dusky titi, uakari
9. How many taxa (species and subspecies) of lemurs exist?
Answer: 68
Interesting Information:Most people do not know that there are now 9 Microcebus species: Microcebus murinus, rufus, myoxinus, berthae, ravelobensis, tavaratra, jollyae, bearae, and mittermeieri. More and more species are being discovered every year.
Difficulty: Hard.
From Quiz: Primates From Around The World
Some incorrect choices:
50, 60, 63
10. William Ellis, the man who coined the term "tree shrews" was a part of whose expedition?
Answer: Captain Cook
Interesting Information:1780 was the first year these animals were documented and even illustrated. William Ellis was the surgeon on the crew of Captain Cook's expedition to Malaysia. He came across these unresearched-before mammals and rather incorrectly called them "tree shrews". The name stuck, and a new family of mammals was inscribed.
Difficulty: Hard.
From Quiz: Little-Known Tree Shrews
Some incorrect choices:
Henry Hudson, Vasco Da Gama, Ferdinand Magellan
11. What is the gorilla's name who is famous for being the *first* gorilla taught sign languge?
Answer: Koko
Interesting Information:Koko began studying sign language when she was just a year old. Dr. Penny Patterson is her mentor, who taught her ASL. She, along with her friend Michael (who passed away in 2000), understands the human spoken language and can sign to communicate. She was born in the San Francisco Zoo and now (March 2003) lives at The Gorilla Foundation/Koko.org.
Difficulty: Hard.
From Quiz: Famous Gorillas
12. Which are *NOT* a type of great ape?
Answer: Gibbons
Interesting Information:Gibbons are lesser or smaller apes. Chimpanzees are also great apes.
Difficulty: Hard.
From Quiz: Gorillas
Some incorrect choices:
Gorillas, Bonobos, Orangutans
13. The category "Primates" includes monkeys, prosimians, apes, and what other organism?
Answer: Humans
Interesting Information:Since we share an evolutionary history with these creatures, studying nonhuman primate behaviour, ecology, and biology can help us reconstruct aspects of our past adaptations and behaviours.
Difficulty: Hard.
From Quiz: Gorillas, Macaques, and Capuchins...PRIMATES!
Some incorrect choices:
Tree kangaroos, Kinkajous, Wombats
14. What is the scientific name for ring-tailed lemurs?
Answer: Lemur catta
Interesting Information:I'm not sure why this is the scientific name, but the make up of their eyes is very similar to a cat's meaning they have very good night vision.
Difficulty: Hard.
From Quiz: All About The Ring-tailed Lemur
Some incorrect choices:
Lemur lemur, Lemur prima, lemur prosimi
15. What does orangutan mean?
Answer: Person of the Forest
Interesting Information:The original expression is Indonesian and interestingly the local people make little distinction between the orangutan and the tribal people who live in the forest.
Difficulty: Hard.
From Quiz: Orangutans
Some incorrect choices:
Red haired man, Tree swinger, Hairy ape
16. Lemurs come from where?
Answer: Madagascar
Interesting Information:Lemurs are endemic to Madagascar. The ancestral lemur is thought to have 'rafted' over from Africa on a mass of floating vegetation.
Difficulty: Easy.
From Quiz: Lemurs
Some incorrect choices:
Borneo, New Zealand, South America
17. Orangutans can only be found living on two islands. Which ones?
Answer: Borneo and Sumatra
Interesting Information:The only great ape found in Asia today, it is believed that orangutans originated in Africa and branched out about 15 million years ago. When classified originally, it was believed that all orangutans were one species. In 1996 they were divided into two species, the Bornean orangutan and the Sumatran orangutan. Both species have since had their genomes sequenced; as a result, it has been determined that they split apart about 400,000 years.
Difficulty: Easy.
From Quiz: Orangutans Are Orange!
Some incorrect choices:
Java and Sumatra, Philippines and Borneo, Taiwan and Borneo
18. In which South American country would I find the northern brown howler monkey?
Answer: Brazil
Interesting Information:Northern brown howler monkeys live in small groups in the forests of Brazil. Despite their name, they range in colour from reddish-orange to black.
Difficulty: Hard.
From Quiz: Funky Monkeys!
Some incorrect choices:
Peru, Chile, Bolivia
19. How did the slow loris get its name?
Answer: They move slowly
Interesting Information:The slow loris was named due to its speed. Rather than jumping through the trees like their close relatives the lemurs, the slow loris prefers to move slowly and carefully.
Difficulty: Easy.
From Quiz: The Slow Loris
Some incorrect choices:
They eat slowly, They breed slowly, No one knows
20. In which two west African countries could you find the Cross River gorilla?
Answer: Cameroon and Nigeria
Interesting Information:The Cross River gorilla is only found in the countries of Cameroon and Nigeria. They are scattered into a dozen different family groups in an area of about 3,000 square miles. The human population in these areas continues to grow at the same time the population of many native species continues to decline.
Difficulty: Hard.
From Quiz: Endangered: The Cross River Gorilla
Some incorrect choices:
Tanzania and Kenya, Algeria and Tunisia , Lesotho and Congo
21. Which Asian monkeys, found in Borneo, are named for their exceeding large noses?
Answer: Proboscis monkey
Interesting Information:The proboscis monkey is native to Borneo. Males have larger noses than females and apparently the larger the nose the more attractive the male. Habitat destruction has severely impacted numbers with its status being endangered on the IUCN Red List of 2018.
Difficulty: Very Easy.
From Quiz: Monkey Business
Some incorrect choices:
Orangutan, Rhesus macaque, Squirrel monkey
22. What makes their sound so loud?
Answer: special vocal sacs or chambers
Interesting Information:Before writing this quiz, I listened to their sounds, and truly it does sound like "barking,"or "whooping." Someone has rather disparagingly noted that a female's vocalization sometimes sounds like a "pig's grunt." [This "someone" was William Henry Hudson in the novel "Green Mansions."]
In their large throats, they have unique hollow, egg-shaped chambers which augment the sound. This is physiologically called an "enlarged hyoid bone."
They seem to call out the loudest either at dawn or late afternoon, and it is estimated that they can be heard for approximately three miles.
Difficulty: Easy.
From Quiz: Those Howling Monkeys
Some incorrect choices:
lots of progesterone, two larynges, ridged trachea
23. Some great apes have been taught to communicate effectively with humans. How do these apes "speak"?
Answer: Through sign language.
Interesting Information:Washoe the chimpanzee was the first non-human to learn to communicate with humans through a form of language. Later, Koko the lowland gorilla's capabilities for language were even more shocking: "Koko has a working vocabulary of over 1,000 signs... [and] understands approximately 2,000 words of spoken English" (www.koko.org). Additionally, her human IQ has been tested to be between 70 and 95.
For more on Koko and gorillas, visit www.koko.org
Difficulty: Easy.
From Quiz: "Next of Kin": The Great Apes
Some incorrect choices:
Through writing., Their vocal cords can be manipulated to produce pseudo-human speech., By drawing pictures.
24. The aye-aye has an adaptation that allows it to occupy a niche that is occupied elsewhere in the world by which creatures?
Answer: Woodpeckers
Interesting Information:Aye-ayes have an amazingly long middle finger, which they use to tap on wood to locate hollow areas with larvae hidden inside. They then use their strong teeth to break open the tree, as a woodpecker does with its beak, to get to their food, using the long finger to remove their prey as woodpeckers use their long, sticky tongues.
Difficulty: Hard.
From Quiz: I've Got My 'Aye-Aye' On You!
Some incorrect choices:
Bats, Cats, Vultures
25. Arguably the most recognized of the Lemuridae, which lemur was used to promote "Fierce Creatures", a movie starring John Cleese?
Answer: Ring-tailed lemur
Interesting Information:My favorite advert showed the ring-tailed lemur sheepishly pointing a revolver at the viewer of the ad. From personal experience (both positive and negative), ring-tailed lemurs are gorgeous animals that engage in a rather disgusting territorial tactic: stink fighting. Imagine my surprise when a small family group approached me at Duke University (much like a cat would) and then two males raised their tails and started shooting their stink from glands at each other!
Difficulty: Average.
From Quiz: Are You Ready, Kids? Aye-aye, Captain!
Some incorrect choices:
Ruffed lemur, Mouse lemur, Crowned lemur
26. What is the scientific name for the Verreaux's Sifaka?
Answer: Propithicus verreauxi
Interesting Information:Sifakas are lemurs and are arboreal. They have long, powerful hind legs for jumping from tree to tree. When they do venture down to the ground, they spring along in a gallop-like leap with their front legs held up above their heads.
Difficulty: Hard.
From Quiz: Primatology
Some incorrect choices:
Erythrocebus verreauxi, Propithicus sifaki, Erythrocebus sifaki
27. How much, on average, does the smallest monkey weigh?
Answer: 4 to 7 ounces
Interesting Information:The smallest monkey is the pygmy marmoset. It is only 9 to 12 inches long.
Difficulty: Hard.
From Quiz: Monkeys, Monkeys, and More Monkeys!
Some incorrect choices:
3 to 7 pounds, 10 to 14 ounces, 1 to 2 pounds
28. Who was the first gorilla born in captivity?
Answer: Colo
Interesting Information:Millie gave birth to Colo in Columbus, Ohio on December 22, 1956, making Colo the first gorilla born in captivity. Baron Macombo was Colo's father. Koko is famous for knowing sign language.
Difficulty: Hard.
From Quiz: Famous Gorillas
Some incorrect choices:
Millie, Baron Macombo, Koko
29. What is the name of the most famous scientist who studied gorillas?
Answer: Dian Fossey
Interesting Information:Dian Fossey worked with mountain gorillas in Rwanda. Birute Galdikas studied orangutans, Pat Wright studied lemurs and Jane Goodall studied chimpanzees.
Difficulty: Hard.
From Quiz: Gorillas
Some incorrect choices:
Birute Galdikas, Pat Wright, Jane Goodall
30. The bonobo is also (erroneously) known as:
Answer: Bonobo chimpanzee or pygmy chimpanzee
Interesting Information:There are scientists that object to "pygmy chimpanzee" as incorrect since the bonobo and the chimpanzee are more or less the same size. And there are those that insist that the name "bonobo" is meaningless and probably came from a misspelling of "Bolobo", a town in Zaire, on a delivery crate.
Difficulty: Hard.
From Quiz: The Bonobo
Some incorrect choices:
Pygmy chimpanzee or black-eared chimpanzee, Red-mouthed chimpanzee or bonobo chimpanzee, Black-eared chimpanzee or forest chimpanzee
31. The prehensile tail is a characteristic found in which primate group?
Answer: New World monkeys
Interesting Information:The prehensile tail is found only in some neotropical primates, such as the Howler monkey. It is capable of grasping objects, and has a tactile surface on its underside.
Difficulty: Hard.
From Quiz: Gorillas, Macaques, and Capuchins...PRIMATES!
Some incorrect choices:
Old World monkeys, Prosimians, Apes
32. Where do these lemurs live (in the wild)?
Answer: Madagascar
Interesting Information:They live mostly in the south and south west of the island and guard their territories quite aggresively when needed.
Difficulty: Easy.
From Quiz: All About The Ring-tailed Lemur
Some incorrect choices:
Malaysia, Mauritius, Maui
33. How much, to the nearest percentage, does our DNA match that of an orangutan?
Answer: 97
Interesting Information:It was once believed that they were our closest relatives due to their ability to walk unright, but actually other apes share more of our DNA.
Difficulty: Hard.
From Quiz: Orangutans
Some incorrect choices:
85, 91, 68
34. What kind of lemur is Zoboomafoo on the television series of that name?
Answer: Coquerel's Sifaka
Interesting Information:Zoboo was played by Jovian, a sifaka from the Duke University Primate Center in North Carolina. The show was aimed at children and taught them about the natural world.
Difficulty: Hard.
From Quiz: Lemurs
Some incorrect choices:
Ring-tailed Lemur, Red Ruffed Lemur, Tattersall's Sifaka
35. Besides habitat destruction, what's the other reason why so many monkeys are listed as being endangered?
Answer: illegal pet trade
Interesting Information:Unfortunately in countries such as Brazil, monkeys are popular as exotic pets and this has led to many animals being removed from the wild. Poachers are highly paid to kill the adults in order to obtain the young, which are then sold at open-air markets.
Difficulty: Average.
From Quiz: Funky Monkeys!
Some incorrect choices:
high infant death rates, disease, poisoning
36. What does the slow loris use as a form of defence?
Answer: poison
Interesting Information:When threatened, the slow loris will lick the scent glands on its arms, which produce a mild poison, before biting its tormentor.
Females have also been known to cover the fur of their young with this poison.
Difficulty: Hard.
From Quiz: The Slow Loris
Some incorrect choices:
its tail, sharp claws, speed
37. Prosimians have two special physical features that are specifically for grooming purposes. What are they?
Answer: Tooth comb and grooming claw
Interesting Information:In prosimians, the middle bottom four teeth have fused together and jutted out to form a specialized comb for grooming. They also have a claw (on the rest of their fingers they have nails, like other primates) that is perfect for grooming and scratching. Some people call this the toilet claw.
Difficulty: Hard.
From Quiz: Crash Course in Primatology
Some incorrect choices:
Grooming tooth and claw comb, Brush claw and scratching tooth, Scratching claw and tooth brush
38. In the 2008 animated movie "Space Chimps", an astrochimp named Ham III follows in the footsteps of his grandfather, Ham. The character of Ham is based on a chimpanzee in real life named Ham who, on January 31st, 1961, made history by being what?
Answer: The first hominid in space
Interesting Information:Ham was born in July, 1956 in Cameroon. He was captured by animal trappers and sent to Florida where he was then purchased by the United States Air Force.
Specially selected out of 40 candidates, 2-year-old Ham was one of six astrochimps trained for space travel. He was named after the Holloman Aerospace Medical Centre, where he was trained. He would become the test pilot to determine if humans could survive space flight. On January 31, 1961, 44-month-old Ham was strapped onboard the capsule MR-2 and launched from Cape Canaveral on a sub-orbital flight. During the flight he successfully performed several operations, proving that it was possible to function normally under the stress of space travel.
Errors in the launching had the rocket reach a speed of 9426 km/h instead of 7081 km/h as planned. This resulted in a larger apogee (68 km higher) with Ham experiencing a longer time weightless (6.6 minutes instead of 4.7 minutes), and a greater re-entry force of 14.7g (3g higher than originally expected). Ham's flight reached 253 km above earth and lasted 16 minutes and 39 seconds. The landing of the capsule was off-target, causing a 3 hour delay in his rescue. In addition, the capsule had capsized and was leaking seawater. Ham survived with the protection of his space suit, his only injury being a bruised nose.
After the success of his mission Ham became a celebrity and appeared on television and in a movie with Evel Knievel. The sad reality, though, was his 17 years spent alone at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. He was later moved to the North Carolina Zoo in 1980 where he had contact with other chimpanzees. He died on January 19, 1983 at the age of 26. He has no known descendants.
Difficulty: Hard.
From Quiz: Chimp Off the Old Block
Some incorrect choices:
The first living being to go to the moon, The first chimpanzee to fly a plane, The first chimpanzee to complete the NASA astronaut training program
39. What term best defines the howler monkey's primary form of locomotion?
Answer: quadrupedal
Interesting Information:The howler monkeys have what amounts to an additional limb in their incredibly strong prehensile tail, which may be as large as the monkey itself. Their movement is classified as quadrupedal.
Saltatory locomotion refers to leaping, hopping and jumping of certain insects. Plantigrade refers to the walking of mammals with feet on the ground.(humans, opossums and rabbits are some examples of plantigrade locomotion) Digitigrade locomotion refers to walking on the toes, such as cats, dogs and walking birds, among others.
Howler monkeys move very slowly, spending an inordinate amount of time on top of trees, munching away at and digesting leaves. Researchers estimate that they may spend as much as seventy-five percent of their time resting.
Difficulty: Hard.
From Quiz: Those Howling Monkeys
Some incorrect choices:
saltatory, plantigrade, digitigrade
40. Where might you go to see ringtail lemurs?
Answer: All of these
Interesting Information:Ringtail lemurs live in dry scrubby and spiny forested areas on southern Madagascar. One of the best known private reserves in the country is Berenty, in this region. If you go there, you will be guaranteed to see wild lemurs. Several television programmes have been made about the ringtails who live there. They also do well in captivity with the right conditions.
Difficulty: Easy.
From Quiz: Where's the Lemur?
Some incorrect choices:
Dry forests of southern Madagascar, Berenty private reserve, A zoo
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