A Challenge Lost Trivia Quiz

Answer: Tasmanian devil

The unusual thylacine was called both the Tasmanian tiger and the Tasmanian wolf, but never the Tasmanian devil, which is a completely different animal. The thylacine was the largest known carnivorous marsupial known to have existed in modern times. The thylacine was found on mainland Australia at one time, but by the time of European settlement, it was found only on the island state of Tasmania. Humans were directly responsible for the extinction of this unique animal.

They exposed these creatures to disease, introduced dogs to the island, and caused habitat loss. Once bounties began being paid for every dead animal brought in, their fate was sealed.

In a final act of stupidity and neglect, it is believed that the very last thylacine died on September 7, 1936, after zookeepers forgot to put it up in its sleeping quarters and it died from exposure.

Answer: South Africa

The quagga was found the extreme southern parts of South Africa. Unlike most of its cousins it did not have black and white stripes. Instead it was primarily brown with white socks and had stripes on its neck and head only. Like all zebras, the quagga was a herbivorous creature that lived in herds of about fifty.

The quagga was hunted to extinction because it was looked at as competition for the domesticated animals brought to the area by European settlers. The last quagga died in 1883 and there are 23 skins of these animals surviving.

These skins were used in 1984 for DNA analysis making the quagga the first extinct animal to have this done.

Answer: Mauritius

Located in the Indian Ocean, the island of Mauritius was home to many unusual animals including the extinct dodo bird. Very few drawings or descriptions were done before the dodo became extinct and so the exact coloring, its behavior and its natural environment is not known for sure.

The dodo was flightless, as there was abundant prey on the ground and it also made its nest on the ground. It also had no fear of humans, and was easily hunted. First described in 1598, it was hunted into extinction by 1662.

Answer: False

The sea mink was hunted into extinction for its fur as opposed to its musk. The sea mink was larger and longer than its cousins and yielded a pelt that was almost twice as large. Even though this animal was known to coastal Native American tribes as well as fur hunters, it was already extinct before it was ever scientifically described.

While it was believed to have had nocturnal habits and to lead a solitary lifestyle, none of this can be ascertained with any degree of certainty. A simple desire for this animal's fur led to its demise within a couple hundred years of European settlers discovering it.

Answer: Africa

Depicted in many ancient Roman mosaics, the Bubal hartebeest was found in the African regions that lie north of the Sahara Desert. There are still other subspecies of hartebeest found in southern areas of the continent. This herbivorous grazer was sandy brown in color with a tan patch on each side of its muzzle.

It had spiraling horns which were used mainly for fighting during mating season. The exact date this animal became extinct is not known for sure, but was probably during the early part of the 20th century.

Although the exact cause of extinction is not known, the French conquest of Algeria caused a major population drop when the French military made it common practice to slaughter complete herds for food.

Answer: Goat

The Pyrenean Ibex, also called a bucardo, is a type of wild goat. They were common in the mountainous regions of Spain and France for many centuries. Frantic efforts are in place, attempting to make this animal 'de-extinct' by using cloning technology.

It was easy to tell males from females by the size of their horns, and the coat is a mixture of gray, brown, and black. These herbivorous goats migrated seasonally and birth usually occurs around the month of May. The major cause for the extinction is not known for sure, but is believed to be a mixture of habitat loss, hunting, and competition with domestic animals for food.

Answer: They had no fear of humans.

Island species are prone to extinction once new species arrive. The Falkland Islands wolf is just one of these animals. Because this apex predator had no experience with humans, when they appeared this animal was curious instead of being afraid. This lack of fear has caused many island species to go extinct rapidly once humans appear.

It was first mentioned in 1690 and was extinct within 200 years. This animal was truly unusual, in that no other oceanic island that is as remotely located as the Falklands has a native canine. How they got there is a matter of speculation. Humans, who were afraid of mainland wolves, hunted and poisoned these animals to a quick extinction.

Answer: Caucasian Wisent

The Caucasian wisent was a type of bison that was, at one time, found in large numbers in the Caucasus Mountains of Eastern Europe. One of the primary natural predators of this magnificent animal was the Caspian tiger, which became extinct in the 1970s.

The wisent became extinct after human populations in the area increased. Loss of habitat, human encroachment, and deliberate hunting caused this animal to become extinct. Attempts to breed back are underway, and this animal is a potential candidate for an attempt at cloning.

The other three choices are extinct bird.

Answer: It was poisonous to eat

The Carolina parakeet lived in the eastern parts of the U.S. and was the only known parrot species native to this area. The meat of these birds was believed to be poisonous because they ate large amounts of the toxic cocklebur. Many small predators were observed to die after ingesting one of these birds.

The introduction of honeybees into their native habitat also lowered populations. The Carolina parakeet was also prone to a flocking behavior in which they all gathered around another parakeet that had just died, making them very easy targets.

It is believed that the final straw was probably an unknown type of avian or poultry disease which caused a rapid disappearance of all remaining members of the population. As a note of interest, the very last Carolina parakeet died in 1918, in the very same bird cage in which the very last passenger pigeon had died just four years before.

Answer: So their habitat could be turned into agricultural land

The bluebuck, also called the blue antelope, lived in the very southern tip of Africa. They have the sad distinction of being the first large African mammal to become extinct in modern times. It was deliberately killed off so that its native habitat could be turned into agricultural land.

It was said to taste terrible and to rot quickly so it was not used by native peoples nor by Europeans. Like most antelope, the bluebuck lived in herds composed of females and their offspring, and dominated by a territorial bull.

There were also bachelor herds for males who did not have their own harems. They ate only high quality grass, which limited the habitat in which they could survive.