Wild in New Guinea Trivia Quiz

Answer: The Papuan hornbill

The impressive beak of the hornbill is large and thick, with the characteristic "horn" being positioned between the top of the head and the halfway point of the beak. This beak is perfectly adapted to eating fruit, being the correct shape to pluck the fruit from branches and strong enough to crush even tough fruit.

Typically, the male will have coal-black plumage covering his body and a golden-ginger head. The area around the eyes of the adult male will usually feature no feathers, revealing bright blue skin.

Hornbills suffer greatly from the destruction of forested areas, as females build their nests in the hollows of trees. The dense forests of New Guinea are therefore a clear haven for such a bird.

Answer: The crocodile monitor

The crocodile monitor, also known as Salvadori's monitor, is the largest monitor found on the island (the heaviest monitor of all being the Komodo dragon). The crocodile monitor also holds the record of being the longest lizard in the world, at up to 8 ft.

When observed in the wild, the crocodile monitor, like all monitors, is fairly slow moving. However, they can move in short bursts of terrific speeds. Monitors are also credited with having greater stamina than other lizards, possessing the ability to breathe whilst running. As well as sudden speed, the monitor's tough scaly skin and vicious bite make it deadly to creatures of all sizes, including humans.

Crocodile monitors can be distinguished from their relatives not only by their tremendous length, but their bulbous noses and yellow spots. The tail of the crocodile monitor is the main contributing factor to its length. This tail is vital for balance, tree-climbing, and defence.

Answer: A giant woolly rat

This discovery was made by a BBC crew whilst filming for a series of documentaries which were to be aired later that year. The giant rat was spotted by a camera which had been set up in the middle of the New Guinean forest. Known as the Bosavi woolly rat (Bosavi being the volcano it was found near), this massive rodent is just short of 3 ft in length.

It is very similar in appearance to common rats and has silvery-brown fur. Whilst being filmed, the presenters commented on the rat's lack of fear of humans.

This is unsurprising considering that this species of rat had probably never seen a human before, let alone a human which wanted to kill it.

Answer: Blue

Blue-tongued skinks are omnivorous, their diet comprised of roughly 60% plant and 40% animal. They commonly feast on leafy plants, but also enjoy berries. They are fairly docile creatures and many are even kept as pets.

As with all lizards, the blue-tongued skink possesses Jacobson's organ, which works with the forked tongue to detect scent particles and find food. The cobalt blue tongue it used to scare predators.

Answer: They build a mound of vegetation and leaves

The megapodes in New Guinea can be seen in the barren areas which surround large volcanoes. Because of the notorious lack of food in these areas, the presence of the megapode bird usually suggests that it is about to lay its eggs. The reason for choosing this volcanic, ashy terrain is for the warmth of the earth, as well as the lack of predators who may steal the eggs.

The egg of a megapode bird is very large, as the mother will bury it in the mound and move on, never to meet her young, so the chicks need to be born large, capable of fending for themselves.

The name megapode literally means "big foot" due to the bird's physical appearance. Megapodes are chicken-like birds, but some have significantly longer legs than others.

Answer: The tree kangaroo

As the kangaroos we know today evolved from tree-dwelling marsupials, it seems odd that certain members of their family have returned to their arboreal states. One theory is that they were forced to start to climb trees due to limited ground space. This seems a likely explanation when taking into consideration the dense forest of New Guinea which the tree kangaroos inhabit.

The differing habitats of the tree kangaroo to the red kangaroo (for example) is shown clearly in the physical appearance of the two. Whilst familiar kangaroos have long feet on the ends of muscular legs used for horizontal jumps, the tree kangaroo has shorter, broader, padded feet on the end of equally muscular legs used for climbing. The front legs (or arms) of the tree kangaroos are much larger in relation to their body size than those of other kangaroos. These arms are used to wrap around trees, whilst the tree kangaroo uses its powerful legs to push itself high up.

Many of the tree kangaroos on New Guinea can be found in the crater of the volcano, Mount Bosavi. In such an isolated area (a crater in a volcano on an island) it is unsurprising that such creatures are not used to human contact. Also, the lack of natural predators means that these animals are unlikely to run from you, but rather waddle past blissfully.

Answer: A parasitic fungus enters these ants and grows, eventually bursting out of the ant's body

This particular fungus, once gaining entry into the ant's body, begins to grow. Eventually, the fungus grows into the ant's brain, altering the its behaviour. Many have compared this to mind control - the fungus literally possesses the ant, causing it to climb to the top of a plant and grip the stem/leaf with its mandibles, before the fungal shoots erupt out of the ant's head. The emerging shoots release fungal spores, which are carried by the wind to other areas, where the fungus will most likely infect other ants.

Whilst the island of New Guinea does contain giant flying stick insects, they are not known for the behaviour mentioned in the incorrect answer option. Other insects on the island include the rhinoceros beetle, long-horned beetle, and bess beetle (which is known for the strong hissing sounds it can produce).

Answer: They are venomous

The eeltail catfish is so named because of its flat, paddle-like tail. The fish are particularly odd looking in that they have several tentacle-like organs projecting from their mouths which are used to taste their environment. They are generally small in size, but some grow up to two foot in length.

The small size is compensated for by the venom located in the barbs of the fins. The sting of this fish is said to be extremely painful and so can protect it from animals such as crocodiles which share the water off the New Guinean coast.

Answer: The raggiana bird of paradise

The fantastic male birds perform complicated dances in order to attract females. Sometimes, there is more than one male and so they must compete for the attention of females in the area. Once the female has chosen her mate, the lucky male will continue his courtship ritual, jumping around next to the female, flapping his wings, jumping on top of her, and pecking her neck. Eventually mating will take place and the female will leave, later laying one or two eggs which are pink in colour.

Unlike some other types of birds, the reggiana bird of paradise does not stay with its mating partner for life. In fact, the male of this species can mate with several females within the space of a day.

Answer: Cuscus

The cuscus is a marsupial, which looks like a cross between a possum and a small bear. They can be found in Australia as well as in the forests of New Guinea, often hiding in hollowed out tree stumps. They have rarely been filmed in the wild.

What is now known as the Bosavi silky cuscus is classed as a new sub-species of the small marsupial. This discovery was broadcast to the British public in September 2009, as were many other discoveries (mostly insects, bats, and frogs). This expedition consisted of a small group of animal experts and TV wildlife presenters who actively set out to find these new species. The expert on tropical insects, Dr George McGavin, joked on the show that if he were to find a new species of insect on the day of his wife's birthday (which he missed due to filming), he would name the insect after her.