A - Z of ZA: Mammals Trivia Quiz

Answer: Termites and other insects

The aardwolf has a hyena-like appearance, but is much smaller than a hyena. It has dark vertical stripes and long pointed ears.

Answer: The northern and eastern parts

Bushbabies have large forward facing eyes, and large thin ears. They make a unnerving, loud, shrill cry which sounds very much like a human baby. The two types found in South Africa are the thick-tailed bushbaby and the Southern lesser bushbaby.

Answer: Civets have regular latrine sites, known as civetries

The civet looks like a bandit, with a white muzzle, light grey forehead, and a black horizontal band between the forehead and muzzle, covering the eye area. They are about the size of a medium-sized dog, and are related to mongooses and genets. They are solitary animals or found in pairs, and can be found in Africa and Asia.

Answer: Elephant

Dassies look like rodents, but their evolution lies in the same branch as elephants and dugongs. The other name for dassie is hyrax.

Answer: They greet each other with affection

Large matriarchal herds will split to former smaller herds, which still associate with each other, and remain in the same area. These meetings are like family gatherings. Occasionally they will come together in a large group numbering several hundreds, but family groups still retain their identity, and eventually move off on their own.

Answer: Cape fox and bat-eared fox

The cape fox has a typical fox-like appearance, and is pale in colour. It travels singly or in pairs. The bat-eared fox has black legs, very large ears, and is usually found in pairs or small groups.

Answer: The herds are loose, unstable groups, constantly changing

Giraffes are generally seen in groups or herds, but these are leaderless associations. They are non-territorial. Groups of young are sometime left together in nursery groups, and at other times left on their own.

Answer: They graze at night on land

A San legend tells how the hippo was created last out of all the leftover parts. He was embarrassed, and wanted to live in the water to hide, but the creator was sure that with his large mouth, he would eat all of the fish. The hippo promised that he wouldn't, and as an assurance, would scatter his dung on the land, so the creator could examine it to ensure that there were no fish bones in it.

Answer: Lyre shaped horns on males only

The impala is generally the most common animal seen in any game reserve. They have a reddish-brown back, paler sides and an even paler underside. The tail is white with a black stripe, and they have a vertical black stripe on each buttock.

Answer: Black-backed jackal

The black-backed jackal and side-striped jackal are both found in South Africa, but the black-backed jackal is widely distributed throughout the country, while the side-striped jackal is only found in the far northern and eastern parts of the country. The Simian jackal is very rare, and found in Ethiopia, while the golden jackal is found in north and east Africa.

Answer: Large antelope with large ears, white vertical stripes and long spiral horns on the males

A kudu will have a mass of between 180 to 250 kg. Its most noticeable features are the large ears and 6 to 10 distinct white stripes on a grey-brown body. The male has long spiral horns, with an average length of 120cm.

Answer: Rosette shaped spots on the body, and solid spots on the face and legs

Leopards are the most successful of the large cats, and are widely distributed throughout sub-Saharan Africa, although, in sheep farming areas, they have been killed off as pests.

Answer: Water mongoose

The water mongoose can grow to 5.5 kg in mass. It is often mistaken for an otter. There are 11 types of mongoose in South Africa, with size varying between these two extremes.

Answer: Kudu

The nyala is less than half the size of a kudu. It has 8 - 14 vertical stripes, whereas the kudu has 6 - 10 stripes. They have similar shape horns.

Answer: Frogs, mollusks, small mammals, birds and insects

The other otter found in SA is the spotted-necked otter. Its diet consists mainly of fish, but it will eat the other items as well. The Cape clawless otter is found throughout SA, with the exception of the semi-desert interior.

Answer: Porcupines shoot their quills out in defense

Porcupine quills are easily detached, but are not shot out at predators. These quills are often found lying on trails. However, the loose quills cannot meet the demand for them, and porcupines are often killed for their quills.

Answer: The quagga is a natural variant of the plains zebra

The last wild quagga is estimated to have died in 1878, and the last captive quagga died in the Amsterdam zoo in August 1883. The Quagga Project was set up by Reinhold Rau, to try back-breed these animals. So far it has had success with regard to coat-pattern characteristics.

Answer: Both have two horns

Both African rhino species have two horns, as does the Sumatran rhino. The Indian and Javan rhinos only have a single horn. Intense anti-poaching programs have led to a recovery in numbers of the white and black rhinos, however, the threat still remains.

Answer: Meerkat

Meerkats are sociable, diurnal animals, weighing less than one kilogram, with transverse bands across their backs. They live in colonies, where they have jobs, including baby-sitting, sentry duties and hunting.

Answer: A medium size antelope with lyrate horns and a sloped back

The tsessebe is an antelope resembling a hartebeest. It has a long face and sloping back. Both sexes have horns.

Answer: Rhinoceros

Although the rhino does not have hooves, it does walk on its toes. It has three toes. Warthogs and giraffe are even-toed ungulates, and the elephant forms the third ungulate group.

Answer: Black face, white forehead and grey long coarse hair on the body.

Vervet monkeys are found in wooded and savanna areas. They have adapted to living in close proximity to humans. They have a complex social structure, with a well-defined hierarchy. They will care for injured members of the group, and work together as a team.

Answer: Males have 4, females have two

Warthogs are so ugly that they are appealing. They have a dark tuft on the end of a thin tail, which is held erect when running. They are diurnal and often seen in groups.

Answer: Vesper bats

There are three sub-species of these bats, namely the giant yellow house bat, the yellow house bat and the lesser yellow house bat. The vesper bat family is the largest bat family in southern Africa. They are insectivorous. Vesper bats have mouse-like faces and generally have prominent ears, which are widely separated.

Answer: Plains zebra and Cape mountain zebra

Burchell's zebra is another name for the plains zebra. The Hartmann's mountain zebra is a sub-species of the Cape mountain zebra. The Cape mountain zebra is found in a few nature reserves in the western Cape. The plains zebra is the more common zebra, and is found in the north and east of the country. The plains zebra shows a large variation in colouration and patterning, which led to early explorers believing that there were many species of zebra.