Scalies and Slimies of All Sorts Quiz

Answer: Lungs

Due to their surface-to-volume ratio and their costal grooves, Plethodontidae are able to do all their gas exchange through their skin. Some cave salamanders that fall into this particular family also feature gills. Because these salamanders function in this way, they can navigate both land and water with ease, drawing oxygen no matter which environment they're in. Generally they can be found in the Americas.

Answer: Squamata

This would be because squamata is an order of living reptiles, and it's the largest of them, containing a multitude of lizards and snakes under its umbrella (including the gecko as depicted). Typically scaly, they are known for shedding or molting their skin periodically.

Urodela is the order under which salamanders would fall; anura is the order of frogs; gymnophiona, or caecilians, are worm-like creatures that live in wet soil (though they are not worms themselves). All three would be amphibians.

Answer: Snapping turtle

The reason that the snapping turtle would be the go-to here is that the eggs of the other three are not spherical; the other three options all bear eggs that are more...well...egg-like in shape (as in oblong). Though snapping turtles are commonly found near fresh water, they'll lay their eggs further inland, often taking further efforts to hide them by burying them in sand to protect them from predators. If they manage to hatch and survive, the common snapping turtle can live to be more than a hundred years old.

Answer: Monitor

The monitor is a legged lizard, and depicted with this question is the Komodo dragon, the largest lizard in the world, found in Indonesia. There are many reptiles without legs, however, and generally they live their lives in burrows and low nests. Glass lizards are particularly interesting as they differ from snakes only slightly.

While snakes don't have eyelids, glass lizards do. Glass lizards also have earholes while snakes do not. Either way, neither has legs.

Answer: The design of a redbelly turtle shell prevents compression

The alligators simply cannot crush the shells thanks to their design. Also named the Florida red-bellied cooter, this reptile does share land with gators (since both are frequently seen in Florida and Southern Georgia) and, in some cases, actually share the same nest, placing their eggs there due to the convenient temperatures and safety.

It's very likely that these turtles evolved as a result of their circumstances, allowing them to transform from prey to pal in the American Southeast.

Answer: Death adder

Found in Australia, the Acanthophis (or death adder) actually shares the same family as the cobra. Both of these types of snakes can appear quite similar, but vipers can retract their fangs-- cobras can not. Both of these types of snakes can also be venomous; the death adder is no exception. Anti-venom is available for the death adder, but its bite can cause paralysis if not treated quickly.

The fer-de-lance and the bushmaster can both be found in South America and the puff adder is an African snake. All three are vipers.

Answer: Hellbender salamander

Found in a pocket of the Eastern United States that stretches down Appalachia, the hellbender salamander is a fascinating creature not unlike its Asian counterpart, the Chinese giant salamander. The largest North American salamander by far, it's a species that has resided in the region for millions of years, managing to withstand the seasons by utilizing its unique ability to breathe through its skin.

These creatures only live in specific waterways, narrowing their habitat choices, but they do thrive there once situated, navigating shallow rivers and streams with ease.

Answer: Musk turtle

Part of the family Kinosternidae, the musk turtle (or the mud turtle) falls into a small grouping of shelled reptiles that can scale trees if they choose to. They share this ability with some smaller snapping turtles, map turtles, and Indochinese box turtles who climb trees to forage for fruits. Musk turtles, however, will climb to bask in the sun. When frightened, they jump back into the water.

The box turtle takes things to a different level, however. Instead of climbing back down a tree, they can simply fall out, landing on their backs safely.

Answer: Crocodile

The determination can be much easier than this slight physical difference, however; don't go counting teeth!

Alligators are typically reptiles that reside in freshwater regions. Appearing with webbed feet, you can tell the creature from its face quite easily since it has a U-shaped snout; a crocodile would have a V-shape. Crocs, meanwhile, come from saltwater spaces and are found throughout the world while gators are generally only in the U.S. and China.

Answer: Darts

Despite the fact that they are sometimes called poison arrow frogs, their poison is mostly used on blowgun darts (hence 'poison dart frog'. Found throughout Central and South America, these colourful creatures are quite small but they are quite dangerous being highly toxic as a result of their diet.

The golden dart frog, found in a specific part of the rainforests of Colombia, is considered one of the most poisonous animals in the world.