African Fauna Trivia Quiz

Answer: Run

The ostrich cannot fly, but boy can it run. It stands around 2.7 metres (almost 9 feet) in height, which is about a metre (3 feet) taller than the average human being, and it uses its long legs to power across the African savannah and open woodland areas. They have been known to reach speeds as high as 70 kilometres an hour (about 44 miles per hour) and can cover five metres (16 feet) with a single stride.

This amazing creature is the world's largest bird and, as you have probably guessed, it has really powerful legs. These are handy for more than just running fast, they are also extremely useful as a self defence weapon. One powerful kick from this bird has the power to kill a predator.

This question was written by Phoenix Rising's pollucci19 who would love to see a race between an ostrich and a giraffe... he reckons it will be neck and neck all the way.

Answer: Water

Penguins are seabirds that cannot fly, so they prefer to live in water. African penguins, specifically, prefer to live in the waters off the coast of Namibia and South Africa. They do come and live on land for a short time each year, when they generally return to the same colony site during the breeding season. They build their nests in small burrows in the sandy beaches of their colonies or (slightly less pleasantly) under the layers of old droppings that have built up on them.

African penguins are among the smallest species of penguin. They grow to about two feet (60 centimetres) in height, meaning that they are about half as tall as their largest cousins - the emperor penguins of Antarctica.

This penguin question was p-p-p-picked up by Phoenix Rising's Fifiona81.

Answer: Pink

There's an old saying that says "you are what you eat" and that is certainly the case with flamingos. You see, the flamingo is not born pink, it comes out a white/grey colour. So, how does it become pink? There is a natural pigment in most foods. For example, carrots contain carotenoids, which give them their orange colour. The flamingo feeds on a creature called brine shrimp. The brine shrimp feeds on an algae, that algae also has a colour pigment in it. When the flamingo eats the shrimp, it is also taking in the algae, and it then metabolizes that pigment into its own body, turning its feathers a pink colour.

This question was written by Phoenix Rising's pollucci19 who used to be called flamingo, until he put his foot down.

Answer: 8

Scorpions have eight legs, just like spiders, ticks and mites, making them arachnids. They evolved on Earth well before the dinosaurs, look like small lobsters, and are between 5-20 centimetres long (2-8 inches). Over half of a scorpion's length is due to its tail.

They eat mainly insects, which they grab with their front pincers, then whip their poisonous tail tip against the trapped insect killing it. When obtaining food is difficult, scorpions can slow their metabolism down to one third of normal. Because of this, they can live in very harsh environments as long as there is free soil for them to burrow into. This means that scorpions cannot live in permafrost environments like the Antarctic.

This question was written by Phoenix Rising Team member 1nn1.

Answer: Colour

The Jackson chameleon is a bit of a slow mover, which is why its ability to change colour and blend in with its surroundings is so important. If a predator spots it, then the chameleon really has no defence.

The ability to change colour has another purpose in that it allows it to sneak up on its prey. Once it gets close enough it will use its tongue, which is twice the length of its body, to shoot out and grab it. It has special muscles in its mouth that enables it to fire out the tongue really quickly.

So, what does it eat? Mainly insects but it has also been known to go for caterpillars, slugs, worms, spiders, lizards, small birds, and snails.

This question was written by Phoenix Rising's pollucci19 who once owned a green chameleon... no, it's red. Scratch that, a blue one... arrgh!

Answer: Big

The Goliath frog gets its name from its size: it is much bigger than most frogs just as Goliath was a giant in the Bible. It is in fact the largest living frog. It can grow up to 32 centimetres (13 inches) in length and weigh up to 3.25 kilograms (7.2 pounds). The frog is normally found in Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea in Africa. It likes to live along fast-moving rivers with sandy bottoms.

Goliath tadpoles feed exclusively on one plant, the Dicraeia warmingii, which is found near waterfalls and rapids. Adult Goliath frogs eat spiders, worms, insects, such as dragonflies and locusts, fish, other frogs, mollusks, crabs, other crustaceans, baby turtles, young snakes, and small mammals.

This question was hopped into the quiz by Phoenix Rising member tazman6619.

Answer: Bird

Oxpeckers are native to the savannah areas of the sub-Sahara parts of Africa. Their eating zone is, almost exclusively, on the backs of large mammals such as the rhinoceros and the elephant. The smallest creature that they will work with is the impala. Scientists argue over whether or not this is a mutual arrangement between the creatures or whether the oxpecker is a parasite. The oxpecker will feed off the ticks on the beast and will, sometimes, open existing wounds to drink the mammal's blood. It's also been known to feed off its dandruff and earwax.

If there is an argument for mutualism it sits with the rhinoceros. The rhino does not have very good eyesight, so the oxpecker acts as a sort of guard for the beast, making it a sort of an early warning system for the approach of any potential danger.

This question was written by Phoenix Rising's pollucci19 who cannot lay claims to being an oxpecker but has been known to be a grape picker.

Answer: Reptile

The Nile Crocodile is the second largest crocodile (and reptile) on Earth and only the saltwater crocodile from Australia is bigger. They are apex predators, which means that they are at the top of the food chain. They prey on what is under them but have few predators that will hunt them. The Nile crocodile will eat anything from fish to birds and mammals. Beware, because they are very sneaky reptiles, and they love to ambush their prey.

Male Nile crocodiles can grow up 4.5 metres in length (15 feet), but the females are significantly smaller. They prefer freshwater environments though they can tolerate brackish (slightly salty) water. They are unique among crocodiles in that the mother will stay close to the 25-80 eggs she has laid until they hatch. She will only leave them to take a quick swim to cool off and, when she does, the dad will stand guard. After they hatch, the hatchlings will stay close to Mum for two years.

This question was written by Phoenix Rising Team member 1nn1.

Answer: Droppings

Yes, you read that right, like their name implies, dung beetles eat dung... poo, excrement, waste. First they roll the dung into balls, using their head antennae and their very strong legs. Then they bury themselves inside and eat it. They do this because it contains every thing they need to feed themselves, all their nutrients and, even, their water. To help them in this they also have a very good sense of smell and they can locate dung from a long way away.

There are over 2,000 different species of dung beetle in Africa. They don't mind the desert, the forest or the open grassland, however, they really don't like the cold.

There were so many one-liners that Phoenix Rising's pollucci19 wanted to use here but couldn't... ah well, it's a dung job but somebody's got to do it.

Answer: Slide

The black mamba is a snake, so it slithers or slides along the ground. It is a highly venomous snake found in sub-Saharan Africa. It is the second longest venomous snake after the king cobra. It averages over 2 metres (6 feet 7 inches) in length and commonly grows up to 3 metres (9 feet 10 inches).

The black mamba lives both on the ground and in trees. When it moves along the ground it moves with its head and neck raised. It can move quickly across the ground with a top speed of about 20 kilometres per hour (12 miles per hour). Their preferred food is warm-blooded small animals and birds. When threatened, the snake will engage in a threat display where it will expose its black mouth, flick its tongue, hiss, and spread its neck like a cobra but with less of a hood. When it attacks it will strike in rapid succession with multiple bites.

This question was rapidly struck into the quiz by Phoenix Rising member tazman6629.