Sort These Weird Creatures Trivia Quiz

Answer: Bird

The red-cheeked cordon-bleu (Uraeginthus bengalus) is a small bird in the finch family. It typically grows to 12.5-13 cm (4.9-5.1 in) in length and weighs 9.9 g (0.35 oz) on average. The adult male is brown above, with a pail blue breast and tail. The males also have a small red patch on each cheek that can sometimes appear orange or yellow.

The females have duller feathers and no cheek patches. These birds are native to central and eastern Africa, but one was photographed in Los Angeles in 2020.

It is suspected that that bird was an escaped caged bird.

Answer: Bird

This bird is named for the man who discovered it in the late 1800s, an Italian aristocrat named Prince Eugenio Ruspoli. Unfortunately, he was trampled to death by an elephant in the 1890s. A sample of the bird was amongst his belongings, but there were no field notes identifying where he collected it, or other information about the bird. It remained a mystery until many years later. In the 1940s the species' tiny range was finally found near the town of Negelle in Ethiopia.

Prince Ruspoli's turaco (Menelikornis ruspolii) Is a stunning bird. It has bright green, blue, and red feathers with a fluffy white crest. It grows to around 40 cm (15.7 in) from beak to tail, and weighs approximately 200-290 g (7-10.2 oz). It has a very small range near the town of Negelle in Ethiopia. It is listed as Near Threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) due to habitat loss.

Answer: Bird

The chuck-will's-widow (Antrostomus carolinensis) is a bird found mainly in the southeastern US, with some populations extending as far north as Ontario, Canada. These birds are active mostly at night. The brown/black/white birds range from from 28 to 33 cm (11 to 13 in) in length.

Their body mass typically ranges from 66 to 188 g (2.3 to 6.6 oz). The chuck-will's-widow can be found near swamps, rocky uplands, and pine woods, mostly eating insects that are active at night, but they will occasionally eat small bats and birds.

This bird received its name from its song, which sounds like "chuck-will's-widow", "chuckwuts-widow" or "chip-fell-out-of-a-oak"

Answer: Bird

The tufted tit-tyrant (Anairetes parulus) is a species of bird in the tyrant flycatcher family. It has a black crested head, a greyish-brown back, and a white throat and breast with pale black stripes and a pale yellow underbelly. The tufted tit-tyrant can be found in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, and Chile. It is a small bird that averages 9.5 to 11 cm (3.7 to 4.3 in) in length and weighs about 6 g (0.21 oz). They eat mainly insects, but do occasionally eat seeds.

The "tyrant" in its name applies to many other flycatchers in North and South America, reflecting how they will become very aggressive when other birds come too close to their nests. In the case of the tufted tit-tyrant, they will defend their nests only against other tufted tit-tyrants.

Answer: Bird

The masked booby (Sula dactylatra) is also called the masked gannet or the blue-faced booby. It is a white seabird, with a yellow bill and black wings, a black tail, and a black face mask. There are five other species of booby, but the masked booby is the largest. Its body length ranges from 75 to 85 cm (30 to 33 in) long, and its weight typically ranges from 1.2-2.2 kg (2.6-4.9 lb). The masked booby nests in colonies on islands and atolls in the ocean, far enough from the mainland so they won't be bothered by human and animal intruders, and close to the deep water that they need for food.

The masked booby is a diving bird. They will usually vertically dive from 15 to 35 m (50 to 115 ft) above the water, but have been known to dive from as high as 100 m (330 ft). They dive as deep as 3 m (9.8 ft) in search of prey. Their diet of choice is a variety of species of flying fish that can be up to 28 cm (11 in) long (less commonly, up to 41 cm [16 in] long).

Answer: Fish

The fingerprint toby (Canthigaster compressa) is also known as the compressed toby. It is a fish in the pufferfish family (Tetraodontidae). It lives near the ocean floor in the western Pacific. This small (12 cm; 4.7 in) fish lives in sandy and silty lagoons, harbours or channels that tend to be from 2-12 m (6.6-39.3 ft) deep. The fingerprint toby is a diurnal creature, active during the daytime.

The fingerprint toby is a light brownish-grey, with fine light blue-green lines running around its body. In the wild, it eats a variety of snails, shellfish, crustaceans and other fish. It is sometimes kept in home aquariums where it is fed a meaty diet, with chopped shrimp, squid, clams, enriched krill, and fish, as well as marine preparations for herbivores.

Answer: Fish

The puddingwife, or puddingwife wrasse (Halichoeres radiatus) is a relatively small fish that is found in the western Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. They have a range that extends from North Carolina and Bermuda, through the West Indies and Gulf of Mexico, down to the islands of Brazil (although they aren't found in Brazil's coastal water). The puddingwife usually grows to about 40 cm (16 in), but some have been found as large as 51 cm (20 in) in total length.

These fish are a beautiful bright greenish colour with blue-ish green tails, fins, and faces. They can be found in reefs at a depth of 2-55 m (6.6-180.4 ft) as they search for food. Their diet consists of crustaceans, molluscs, brittle stars, and sea urchins.

Answer: Fish

The slippery dick (Halichoeres bivittatus) is a fish that lives in relatively shallow water in the western Atlantic Ocean. They are typically found from North Carolina and Bermuda, throughout the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, and down to Brazil. The slippery dick is a small fish that can grow as long as 35 cm (13.8 in). The slippery dick feeds on crabs, small fishes, sea urchins and ophiuroids, polychaetes, and gastropods in reefs at depths of 1 to 15 m (3.3 to 49.2 ft).

The slippery dick is a protogynous hermaphrodite. All members of this species are born female and at some point in their lifespan change sex to male. In the juvenile phase, this fish is white with two dark stripes running the length of their body, and a dark spot near the pectoral fin. In the initial, or female phase, the slippery dick remains whitish, but has some pink colouration. They still have two stripes, but the one below is paler, and the upper stripe is green/yellow and black. The female also has the dark spot near the pectoral fin. When the fish becomes male, its body turns green. The two long stripes and the dot near the pectoral fin remain, but the head and tail are covered with pink lines.

Answer: Fish

The monkeyface prickleback (Cebidichthys violaceus) Is a fish that is native to the west coast of North America. Although it is sometimes called a monkey face eel, it is not an eel. It is a fish because, unlike eels, it has fins that it uses for locomotion. These fish can reach a maximum size of 76 cm (30 in) and can grow to over over 6 lb (2.7 kg). The monkeyface prickleback is light brown to dark green with rust-coloured markings, and black strips behind eyes. It gets its name from the elongated monkey-like lips that it grows at its mouth.

Monkeyface pricklebacks are carnivores when young. Juveniles eat zooplankton, copepods, amphipods, and isopods. They become herbivores as adults, preferring to eat algae at that time. Monkeyface prickleback are fished by amateurs along the west coast of the US and the northern part of Mexico. They are sought after for their delicious white meat.

Answer: Fish

The radiated shanny (Ulvaria subbifurcata) Is a fish that lives in the northern part of the western Atlantic Ocean. They typically range from the Strait of Belle Isle in Newfoundland to southern Massachusetts. These fish inhabit the water just above the bottom at a depth of 55 m (180 ft), or more. This species has been known to reach a maximum length of 18 cm (7.1 in).

The radiated shanny has an eel-shaped body. It has large eyes, and a body that is yellowish-brown above, transitioning to yellow on the bottom. There is a large oval spot near the front of the dorsal fin. Females of this species lay their eggs in several large masses, which are then guarded by the male parent.

Answer: Mammal

The lowland streaked tenrec (Hemicentetes semispinosus) is found on the eastern side of Madagascar. This animal is found on land, digging underground, and splashing in shallow water. It has an average length of 140 mm (5.5 in), but grows up to a maximum of 172 mm (6.8 in). The weight of the lowland streaked tenrec can range from 125-280 g (4.4-9.9 oz). They have yellow and dark brown stripes that run the length of their body, as well as quills that are made of keratin. This causes them to resemble small porcupines. The lowland streaked tenrec eats mainly earthworms, but has been known to eat other invertebrates.

The lowland streaked tenrec is the only mammal known to use stridulation to generate sound. This is creating sound by rubbing body parts together, more commonly associated with snakes and insects. When the lowland streaked tenrec is threatened, it raises its quills and rubs them together. This creates a sound that scientists believe serves as a warning to potential predators. The females may also use this as a way of communicating with their young.

Answer: Mammal

The nutria (Myocastor coypus) is also known as the coypu. It is a large plant-eating rodent that lives near water. They look somewhat like a beaver, but have a long, skinny hairless tail. Nutria typically weigh 4-9 kg (9-20 lb). They usually have a body length of 40-60 cm (16-24 in) plus a 30 to 45 cm (12 to 18 in) tail. Adult nutria average 4.5 to 7 kg (10 to 15 lb), but they have been known to grow to 16 to 17 kg (35 to 37 lb). Nutria have long, bright orange incisors that never stop growing. The orange colouring is caused by staining from iron in the tooth enamel. These animals are herbivores.

The nutria was originally native to subtropical and temperate South America, but it now exists around the world. It was introduced to North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa in the late 1800s and early 1900s, mainly by fur farmers. However, farming these animals for fur rarely resulted in profits, so many were simply released into the wild. Weather events such as hurricanes in Louisiana have also resulted in the release of the nutria into the wild. Nutria have been declared an invasive species in many areas because they can eat up to 25% of their body weight each day. This results in ecosystems that are destroyed due to clearing out all of the plant material in the area. Attempts are being made to eliminate nutria from many of their non-native areas.

Answer: Mammal

The gerenuk (Litocranius walleri) is also known as the giraffe gazelle. This beautiful animal is native to a few countries in Eastern Africa. This antelope usually stands 80-105 cm (2 feet 7 inches - 3 ft 5 in) tall, and weighs between 18 and 52 kg (40 and 115 lb). They have a reddish-brown back with lighter brown flanks. Males have horns that measure 25-44 cm (10-17.5 in). The horns are lyre shaped, curving backward then slightly forward.

The gerenuk is known as the giraffe gazelle because of its long neck and its ability to feed on trees and bushes by standing on its hind legs. This allows it to reach up to 2 m (6 ft 7 in) above the ground. It is listed as Near Threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Answer: Mammal

The markhor (Capra falconeri) is the national animal of Pakistan. There, it is also known as the screw horn or screw-horned goat. These animals usually grow from 65 to 115 centimetres (26 to 45 in) at the shoulder, and weigh from 32 to 110 kilograms (71 to 243 lb). The males have a coat that is brown-black. It grows long in winter, but tends to be shorter and smoother in summer. Males have a mane of longer hair around the base of their necks. Females have a coat that tends to be more reddish, and they lack the mane. These herbivores live in mountainous areas between 600 and 3,600 m (2,000 and 11,800 ft) in elevation.

Perhaps most the interesting thing about the markhor is their horns. Both males and females have tightly curled, corkscrew-like, horns. These horns are very close to one another at the skull, but spread out toward the sides as they grow, forming a v-shape of corkscrews. The horns of males can grow up to a spectacular 160 cm (63 in) long. On the other hand, they only grow up to 25 cm (10 in) in females. The International Union for Conservation of Nature identified the markhor as Near Threatened since 2015.

Answer: Mammal

The Patagonian mara (Dolichotis patagonum) is a rodent that is native to southern South America, including regions in Argentina and Patagonia. The Patagonian mara is also known as the Patagonian cavy, Patagonian hare, or dillaby. It looks similar to a jackrabbit, with long ears, and long, muscular hind legs. These animals have grey fur, with white and black patches on their rumps, a white underside, and a chin that tends to be more orange in colour. The average Patagonian mara is 69-75 cm (27-30 in) long from head to the end of the tail, with a tail length of 4-5 cm (1.6-2.0 in). They usually weigh 8-16 kg (18-35 lb).

The Patagonian mara is a monogamous creature. They do live in warrens, but only mate with one individual. That individual mate is only replaced in death. The Patagonian mara is a herbivore, eating mostly green vegetation and fruit. Threats to this animal include hunting and habitat loss. As a result, the International Union for Conservation of Nature identified the Patagonian mara as Near Threatened.