Every Sunset Trivia Quiz

Answer: Flying Fox

Most flying foxes come out after sunset in order to avoid predators. While some species are diurnal, the majority are nocturnal. Megabats, also called fruit bats or flying foxes, do not use echolocation; they hunt by vision, as they are able to see well in very dim light.

Flying foxes roost in trees during the day and at night find their favorite trees, often returning to the same trees every sunset to feed until the tree is stripped of its fruit. They live and hunt in large groups. Although they are frugivores, eating fruit as their favorite food, they also eat flowers, leaves, and even insects if necessary.

Answer: Bandicoot

Eating after every sunset keeps bandicoots out of the hot sun. Their noses are very sensitive and help them smell food like nuts, seeds, berries, insects, and small rodents. Bandicoots are great diggers, and, unlike other marsupials, their pouch opens backward to help keep dirt from reaching the babies.

Bandicoots are known for leaving behind snout pokes as they forage. The little conical impressions left in the dirt as they look for all sorts of food help to aerate the soil and distribute plant seeds.

Answer: Aardvark

The native name, aardvark, is from Afrikaans, and translates to earth pig because of all the digging they do! An aardvark's favorite food is termites, and they can eat up to 60,000 of them after every sunset! In addition, they eat ants and the aardvark cucumber, which they favor for its water. It's not always easy for them to find food; studies show they may travel 6-19 miles a night. But they are great hunters, not only able to hear their food, but smell it as well.

Aardvarks stay in their burrow during the day to avoid both the heat and predators. If they are lucky, they might find a large column of ants or termites on the ground, but they also dig into mounds to find their supper.

Answer: Aye-aye

There are many sizes of lemurs, and they typically eat according to their size. While some are diurnal, others are nocturnal or both! The aye-aye, however, with its big eyes to help it see in the dark, is nocturnal. Aye-ayes find food by tapping on trees, a method called percussive foraging. The sound reveals if they will find insects or grubs beneath the bark. An aye-aye will also eat seeds, nuts, fruit, and fungus.

Have you ever looked at an aye-ayes fingers? They are long, with claws at the end. The toilet claw, one on each hand of the aye-aye, is using for scratching, grooming, and sometimes picking its nose!

Answer: Scorpion

Did you know that scorpions can been seen in the dark with an ultraviolet light? It's good to know if you think you might have an infestation! Scientists believe this is caused by the hyaline layer, part of its exoskeleton, which creates a kind of sun block for the animal.

While scorpions are nocturnal, they really don't come out after every sunset. Some can survive 6-12 months without food due to their low metabolic rate; they cannot, however, survive without water for that long period of time. They eat a variety of foods, including snakes, lizards, insects, small rodents, and even other scorpions.

Answer: Firefly

Interestingly, there are some species of fireflies whose adults do not eat at all. They rely on the carnivorous larvae to eat and store away sustainable food, which will usually get a firefly through its short lifespan. Others do eat nectar or pollen.

Also called lightning bugs, their bioluminescence attracts mates, and, of course, is seen at night. Some of the species, however, do not light up as adults, but in their larva or even egg stage. In this case the adult couples find one another using pheromones. Refrain from handling them too much, though. Luciferen, the chemical that aides in bioluminescence, is actually toxic, and is secreted when they are touched. Scientists estimate that the secretions of 20 fireflies could be fatal to an adult human!

Answer: Leopard

A leopard cannot change his spots, but his spots, which are not solid, are really called rosettes because they resemble the shape of a rose. The rosettes provide disruptive coloration, a good type of camouflage for leopards that enables the animal to blend in with their environment.

Every sunset leopards begin their search for food, and they aren't picky eaters. They will devour just about any animal that crosses their path, including monkeys, fish, insects, antelope, and warthogs; in the wild, they may eat up to five pounds of meat per day, depending on where they live and availability. They hunt at night because their eyes are adapted for great night vision. Scientists believe they can see seven times better than a human after every sunset.

Answer: Tapeti

It's a rabbit! A tapeti is not only nocturnal, but also prefers solitude, living in forests, near swamps, or by rivers. It feeds on blades of grass and other vegetation, but has, from time to time, been known to eat mushrooms.

Also called the Brazilian cottontail, currently 21 subspecies of the tapeti have been recognized. Their habitat allows them to be active year round, but they sleep during the day to avoid predators. They apparently make good pets, however, owners must be sure that they are kept in an area where they can sleep during the day and feed them the correct diet.

Answer: Armadillo

Armadillos sleep in burrows about 16 hours a day, and do everything else at night. They will eat meat and parts of plants, but about 90% of their diet consists of larvae and insects, such as termites and ants. And they are mostly nocturnal - believe me! In Missouri there are dead armadillos that have been hit by cars all up and down the highways, but they are rarely seen during the daytime hours.

It is believed that colonists in the 1500s introduced leprosy, also known as Hansen's Disease, into the New World, and nine-banded armadillos caught it. Their low body temperature allows the bacteria to remain on their bodies, so humans who handle them may be at risk. And humans and armadillos are the only animals that spread the disease.

Answer: Owl

By actively looking for food at night, owls do not compete with most other carnivorous birds for food. There are only two species of owls, the Northern Hawk Owl and the Northern Pygmy Owl, that hunt during the day. Other owls appear after every sunset.

Owls' eyes are especially made for hunting in dim light. They like to eat rodents, smaller owls, other birds, and even fish, although they won't pass up insects if they find them. An owl's feet are zygodactyl, having two toes that face forward and two that face backward. This gives them a grip that just will not let go!