A is for Animal Trivia Quiz

Answer: Nocturnal, native to Africa, lives in underground burrows

Aardvarks are found on the African continent, and although there is some evidence in recent years that their numbers are decreasing, are not on the endangered species list. The name comes from a Dutch/Afrikaans word meaning "earth pig". Their diet consists primarily of ants and termites although, interestingly, they have a symbiotic relationship with a type of cucumber, called, reasonably enough, the aardvark cucumber.

They ingest the fruit; the fertility of the seed is enhanced during its time in the aardvark's intestine, and the animal helps to spread the fruit by defecating seeds in various places.

These then take root and form new plants.

Answer: True

Anacondas kill their prey through constriction, not venom. The term "anaconda" actually applies to a group of snakes of the genus Eunectes, which are large aquatic snakes found in the South American tropics. The most common anaconda is the green anaconda, one of the world's largest snakes.

Answer: Leprosy

The bacterium that causes leprosy is delicate and has trouble surviving at high temperatures. Armadillos have a body temperature of about 93 degrees Fahrenheit, so they provide a good host for the bacteria. It is possible, although rare, for humans to contract leprosy from armadillos, although it is thought that they originally contracted the disease from humans.

Answer: led a neighbor to the scene of the crime

An Akita is a breed of dog, originally from Japan, although there is now an American Akita breed as well. They resemble huskies somewhat although their coloring is different.

Nicole Simpson's Akita, Kato, was observed to be running loose and dragging its leash in the neighborhood on the evening of the murders, and to have blood on its feet. A neighbor checked the dog and found it uninjured. He turned the dog over to another neighbor, who took Cato for a walk. The dog led him to the scene of the murders.

Answer: An albatross may live as long as half a century.

According to the National Geographic Society, there have been documented cases of albatrosses living 50 years. The birds seldom spend any time on land except during breeding seasons. Baby albatrosses may not fly until they are ten months old but when they learn, they head to sea and can remain over water for years until they reach breeding age themselves.

They can stay out to sea in part because they do in fact drink salt water. Their diet consists primarily of fish and squid, not shellfish.

Answer: It is reportedly the most painful bite of any insect.

The bullet ant, the species Paraponera clavata, is found from Nicaragua south to Paraguay. Its bite is said to feel like a gunshot, hence its common name. Not only is it exceedingly painful, but the pain can last for up to 24 hours.

There are reportedly tribes in South America that use the ant in a rite of passage for young men to become warriors--many ants are placed inside a glove which the warrior-to-be must don and keep on for several minutes. This horribly painful act has to be repeated up to 20 times over a few months.

Answer: Madagascar

An aye-aye is a type of lemur native to and found only in Madagascar. Aye-ayes are primates, making them relatively close relatives to man and apes, and they're largest of the world's nocturnal primates. They use echolocation, as do bats, to locate objects in their environment, and are the only primate known to use this means of orienting themselves in the world. Some of the residents of Madagascar believe aye-ayes are bad luck, so they have been killed in large numbers, putting them on endangered species lists. It is now illegal to kill an aye-aye.

Answer: True

There are both freshwater and saltwater varieties of angelfish. Saltwater angelfish are found in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans, in tropical waters. The freshwater varieties are found in the Amazon River basin.

Answer: China

The only two species of alligators still in existence are the American and Chinese alligators. Fossilized remain have shown that several species of alligator have gone extinct. Both species of alligators are considered endangered.

Answer: Native to Central and South America, mostly diurnal, lives above ground

Anteaters are quite hairy, with broadly striped coats, short rounded ears, and long tongues used to extract ants out of their nests. They are related to sloths and to armadillos. Their tongues, when extended, are longer than their heads! They are naturally diurnal (active in daylight hours), but in populated areas they have adapted to a nocturnal life style.