Fly, Crawl, or Swim Trivia Quiz

Answer: reptiles

Growing to a length of up to 3 m (9.8 ft), the snakes in the genus Lachesis - known by the common name of bushmasters - are the longest members of the family Viperidae, as well as the longest venomous snakes in the Western Hemisphere. The genus is rather ominously named after one of the Three Fates of Greek myth - the one who determined the length of the thread of life. The type species, the South American bushmaster (Lachesis muta), is found in the equatorial forests of South America, as well as on the island of Trinidad; the other three species also occur in parts of Central America.

Like rattlesnakes, bushmasters belong to the subfamily Crotalinae, the pit vipers. The specific name "muta" refers to the lack of a rattle, which is shared by the snakes of the genus Bothrops (the lanceheads), also native to Central and South America. In spite of its size and powerful venom - largely hemotoxic, but also with a neurotoxic component - the bushmaster is much less of a health hazard than many species of lancehead, as it inhabits sparsely populated areas, and is thus rarely encountered.

Answer: birds

The sapsuckers (genus Sphyrapicus) are North American birds of the order Piciformes, which also includes their close relatives, the woodpeckers (also in the family Picidae). The type species, the yellow-bellied sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius), occurs in Canada, eastern Alaska, and the northeastern US; it winters in the warmer climates of southeastern US, Mexico, and Central America. It is a slender, medium-sized bird with variegated plumage, which owes its common name to the pale yellow colour of its underparts.

Often found in woodland areas, sapsuckers - as their name implies - feed on the sap of trees, which they pierce with their beaks, making easily recognizable holes in the trunks. As they attack living trees, they are considered pests: birches are particularly prone to the damage done by these birds, which is a frequent cause of mortality in these trees. However, sapsuckers also eat insects and other arthropods, as well as fruits and nuts.

Answer: fish

The angler (Lophius piscatorius) - also known as monkfish - is an uncommonly ugly fish with a high commercial value. A bony fish of the family Lophiidae of the order Lophiiformes, it is found in European waters, particularly in the North Sea. The angler has a broad, flat head and a wide mouth armed with several rows of pointed teeth; its pectoral and pelvic fins allow it to walk on the bottom of the sea, where it often camouflages in the sand or among seaweed.

There are also other species of anglerfish found in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. Because of their unattractive appearance, they have been given common names such as sea-devil, fishing-frog and frog-fish. The name angler, however, comes from a distinctive physical feature: a luminescent fin ray that acts as a lure for other fish. The firm, white tail meat of anglers is highly prized, and often compared to lobster tail: it is called "lotte" in French, and "coda di rospo" (toad tail) in Italian.

Answer: reptiles

Terrapin is the common name of various species of small, freshwater turtles (reptiles of the order Testudines). The name comes from "torope", a word in one of the indigenous Algonquian languages of North America that referred to the diamondback terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin), native to the eastern US. Unlike other animals that share a common name, terrapins do not belong to the same genus or other taxonomic unit: the single connecting factor is their freshwater (or brackish water) habitat. However, many terrapins are part of the families Emydidae (mostly native to the Western Hemisphere) and Geoemydidae (mostly native to Eurasia and North Africa).

In colonial times and in the 19th century, the diamondback terrapin was considered a delicacy, and heavily harvested until its numbers started to diminish. The species is now classified as Vulnerable by IUCN (2019); it was also adopted as Maryland's state reptile in 1994. Other terrapin species - such as the yellow-bellied and red-eared sliders - are popular as pets, and have become invasive species in Europe, Asia and Australia after captive specimens were released into the wild.

Answer: birds

Shearwaters are seabirds of the order Procellariiformes, to which also albatrosses, petrels and storm petrels belong. Petrels are their closest relatives, as they are also members of the family Procellariidae. There are about 30 species of shearwaters, divided into three genera - Puffinus, Calonectris, and Ardenna. Most of those species are relatively small-sized birds; the largest species,t the great shearwater (Ardenna gravis) and Cory's shearwater (Calonectris borealis) are considerably smaller than albatrosses, though they have a large wingspan in proportion to their bodies. Although they have global distribution, they are found most commonly in cold and temperate waters.

Shearwaters owe their name to their peculiar flying technique, which involves flying very close to the water surface with stiff wings in a "shearing" motion. They are long-distance migrants, and come to land only to breed. Like all Procellariiformes, shearwaters have an enlarged nasal gland that acts as a filter, removing the salt of the seawater they drink from their system.

Answer: fish

Also known as pirarucu ("red fish") or paiche, the arapaima (Arapaima gigas) is one of the world's largest freshwater fishes, reaching a length of 3 m (9.8) and a weight of over 200 kg (440 lb). The genus Arapaima includes three other species, all native to the rivers of the Amazon basin. This fish has a long, streamlined body covered by tough yet flexible scales, which protect the animal from attacks by piranhas. This skin (sourced from fisheries) has become a source of "fish leather", used by some local fashion designers to make clothing and accessories.

Prized for its firm, nearly boneless white flesh, in the past the arapaima - sometimes referred to as the Amazon codfish - was impacted by overfishing, so much that Brazil (where the largest numbers of these fish occur) had to implement a short-term ban on fishing in the late 1990s. In recent times, the arapaima has become an invasive species in Bolivia and some parts of Southeast Asia, where it has been introduced.

Answer: reptiles

With a name derived from an Australian Aboriginal language, the perentie (Varanus giganteus) is one of the world's largest lizard species. A denizen of the arid regions of central Australia, this lizard is retiring and rarely encountered. It can grow to a length of 2.5 m (8.2 ft), though - being slender-bodied - it is not as heavy as other monitor lizard species. Perenties are carnivorous, and thus apex predators in their habitat, which lacks other large carnivores. Like all monitor lizards, they are believed to be somewhat venomous.

These lizards have a particular significance in the mythology of many Aboriginal cultures: a giant perentie called Ngintaka is revered as an ancestral being by several Aboriginal groups. They are also among the foods traditionally eaten by Aboriginal tribes (collectively referred to as "bush tucker"). In Australia, the word "goanna" (derived from "iguana") is commonly used to refer to all lizards of the genus Varanus, regardless of size.

Answer: birds

Also known as the owl parrot for its distinctive appearance and nocturnal habits, the kākāpo (Strigops habroptila) is the world's only species of flightless parrot. It is also the heaviest member of the order Psittaciformes, and one of the longest-lived birds. Its Māori name means "night parrot", while its generic name means "owl-like". Together with two other species of parrots endemic to New Zealand, the kea and the kākā (both in the genus Nestor), it forms the family Strigopidae, the New Zealand parrots.

The kākāpo is a large, stout-bodied bird with some unique features, such as its soft, mottled yellow-green plumage, distinct facial disk, and delicate feathers around the beak that resemble vibrissae (whiskers). Though unable to fly, it is an excellent climber, and is entirely herbivorous. Sadly, this iconic bird, which also appears in Māori mythology, is critically endangered (IUCN 2018): the main threat to its survival are invasive animal species and the diseases carried by them. The few remaining specimens are now found on four small, predator-free islands off the South Island. In the summer of 2023, a group of kākāpo were transported to a sanctuary on the North Island.

Answer: fish

Lampreys are among the oldest animals still living on our Earth. They belong to the order Petromyzontiformers, which includes a number of species of jawless fish (Agnatha) that were prominent during the Paleozoic era, hundreds of million years ago. These creatures, considered the most primitive of vertebrates, have a cartilaginous skeleton and rudimentary fins. Because of their scaleless, elongated bodies, lampreys are often mistakenly called "eels" - which, however, are bony fish, and thus unrelated. The 38 extant species of lamprey are found in both coastal and fresh waters, mainly (but not exclusively) in the Northern Hemisphere.

Probably the most distinctive feature of a lamprey - which makes this fish a rather nightmarish creature - is its funnel-like, toothed mouth, adapted for boring into the flesh of other fish and sucking their blood; not surprisingly, the sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) is also known as vampire fish. Non-carnivorous species use those teeth to scrape algae from rocks - hence the fish's Latin name, "lampetra", which means stone-licker. Lampreys were considered a delicacy in the Middle Ages, and were eaten especially during Lent, when meat was forbidden. The story of King Henry I of England, who allegedly died of having eaten too many lampreys, is quite well known. Lampreys are still consumed in various parts of the world, including Portugal, Finland, and Japan.

Answer: reptiles

The name of the boomslang (Dispholidus typus) - meaning "tree snake" in Afrikaans - is an apt descriptor of this snake's habits. Endemic to sub-Saharan Africa, it is one of the few highly venomous snakes that are not members of either the Viperidae or the Elapidae families. The boomslang belongs to the Colubridae family, which includes a number of rear-fanged species with small venom glands that are mostly harmless to humans. However, the boomslang has large fangs and a highly toxic venom, which causes extensive external and internal bleeding. In fact, this snake was believed for a long time to be unable to kill a human - until, in 1957, famed herpetologist Karl Schmidt died after being bitten by a juvenile specimen.

The boomslang is mainly arboreal, and inhabits areas of forest, savannah, and shrubland. It can grow to a length of 1.8 m (59 ft), with a slender body, very large eyes and an egg-shaped head. Males are light green in colour - which helps them camouflage among tree branches - while females are often brown.

Answer: birds

A striking bird with gorgeous colours, the quetzal ("large brilliant tail feather" in Nahuatl) has great cultural significance for the peoples of Central America. Quetzals belong to two genera in the family Trogonidae of the order Trogoniformes, which includes mostly tropical birds of Asia, Africa and the Americas. The genus Euptilotis comprises only one species, the eared quetzal (Euptilotis neoxenus), which is occasionally found in parts of the southwestern US, while the genus Pharomacrus includes five species that range from southern Mexico to tropical South America. The type species, the resplendent quetzal (Pharomacrus mocinno), a denizen of rainforests at high elevation, boasts magnificent, iridescent green and red plumage.

The long tail feathers to which these birds owe their common name were used as currency in ancient Mayan culture, or made into diadems for royalty; birds, however, were not killed after capture, but only deprived of their tail feathers, and then set free. The quetzal is the national animal of Guatemala, on whose flag and coat of arms it appears; the country's currency is also named after this beautiful bird.

Answer: fish

Mudskippers are a subfamily of the family Oxudercidae (the goby family), comprising 23 species of amphibious fish. As their common name implies, these fish are able to move on land and survive for a number of days out of the water, due to various anatomical peculiarities - including the ability to breathe through their skin. The most widespread genus, Periophthalmus, includes 18 species of fish, including the type species, the Atlantic mudskipper (Periophthalmus barbarus), and the barred mudskipper (Periophthalmus argentilineatus). Both these species are found in tropical waters, from western Africa through the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. They occur on tidal flats and mangrove forests, where they can cross flat surfaces of mud and sand with the aid of their pectoral fins. The generic name Periophthalmus refers to these fish's dorsally positioned eyes, which give them a wide field of vision.

Mudskippers are used as food or bait by indigenous peoples, and are also kept as aquarium fish. Their most important role, however, is that of indicators of pollution, as their organs can absorb contaminating substances (such as heavy metals) present in the water.

Answer: reptiles

With its long, thin snout, the gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) is the most easily recognizable of crocodilians. As its scientific name implies, this large reptile is found in the Ganges River and other river systems of Northern India and Nepal, though in the past it was also present in Pakistan, Bhutan and Myanmar. It preys mostly on fish, which it catches by sweeping its sharp-toothed, elongated jaws sideways; unlike other crocodilian species, it does not attack humans, though its does feed on the corpses that float down the Ganges. Reaching a length of up to 4.6 m (15 ft), the gharial is one of the largest species of crocodile. It shares a habitat with the mugger, or marsh crocodile (Crocodylus palustris), a larger species that occasionally attacks humans.

The name "gharial" comes from the bulbous growth at the end of the males' snouts, which resembles a traditional earthenware pot called "ghara". Unfortunately, gharials are seriously threatened by habitat loss and other related causes, with only fragmented populations remaining. They are listed as Critically Endangered by IUCN (2017), though reintroduction efforts seem to be bearing fruit.

Answer: birds

Also known as sea hawk or fish hawk, the osprey (Pandion haliaetus) is a bird of prey of the order Accipitriformes found on all continents except Antarctica. The only living member of its family, Pandionidae, it is the second-most widely distributed raptor after the peregrine falcon. The name osprey is of uncertain origin: some believe it is derived from the Medieval Latin "avis prede" (bird of prey). As some of its other names suggest, this large raptor - whose wingspan can reach 180 cm (71 in) - nests near water, and preys almost exclusively on fish. Its body is adapted to hunting fish and other aquatic creatures: when its sharp eyes detect prey underwater, the osprey dives in feet first, catching its prey in its talons.

Ospreys have an important role in many cultures: they often appear in the artwork of the native peoples of the Pacific Northwest, representing the mythical thunderbird on their famed totem poles. The American football team based in Seattle, WA - the Seattle Seahawks - is named after this bird.

Answer: fish

In many people's minds, the word torpedo is likely to evoke an explosive underwater weapon used in naval warfare. However, the weapon in question took its name from the electric rays in the order Torpediniformes. The name of these cartilaginous fish, which use electric discharge to stun their prey or for defensive purposes, comes from the Latin "torpere", which means to be numb or paralyzed (the English word torpor has the same etymology) - a reference to the effect of electric shock. The genus Torpedo of the family Torpedinidae comprises 13 species, the largest of which is the Gulf torpedo (Torpedo sinuspersici) of the western Indian Ocean. The type species, the common torpedo (Torpedo torpedo) is instead found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea.

Torpedoes are slow-moving, bottom-dwelling fish, with flat, disc-shaped bodies and short tails. They are ambush predators that can deliver electric shocks of up to 200 volts to stun their prey. This electric discharge is not dangerous to humans: in antiquity, it was used to treat headaches and other painful conditions.