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Animal Runners-Up Trivia Quiz

We all know that the blue whale is the biggest animal, the cheetah the fastest land mammal and so on. But what about those second-place critters that the record books overlook? Get to know them in this quiz, part of a "Runners-Up" series.

A multiple-choice quiz by Quizissippi. Estimated time: 5 mins.

Author
Quizissippi

Time
5 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
327,407

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Tough

Avg Score
6 / 10

Plays
1125

Awards
Top 35% Quiz

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. There are plenty of fish in the sea, and the whale shark is the biggest of them all. Which lazy-sounding critter is the second-largest species of fish? Hint

Bottom-sleeping sturgeon

Snoozing ray

Basking shark

Pacuma toadfish

NEXT>

Question 2 of 10

2. The cheetah is the fastest land animal, but the second-fastest could outrun it over a long distance. Maxing out at 61 miles per hour, what is the runner-up in the animal land speed race? Hint

Zebra

Wildebeest

Pronghorn

Gazelle

3. The title for the largest dinosaur ever continues to be contested as scientists make new discoveries every year. But the largest, second largest, third largest and fourth largest are all members of which dino group? Hint

Sauropods

Ceratopsians

Ornithopods

Tyrannosaurids

NEXT>

Question 4 of 10

4. The largest living bird, both by weight and by height, is the ostrich. Which cranky creature is the second largest living bird by weight? Hint

Emu

California condor

Emperor penguin

Southern cassowary

NEXT>

Question 5 of 10

5. According to American Kennel Club registration statistics, the Labrador retriever is the most popular breed of dog. Which smart, protective breed came in at the #2 spot in 2009? Hint

Pit bull

Golden retriever

German shepherd

Yorkshire terrier

NEXT>

Question 6 of 10

6. Cat lovers have their favorites, too. Though the majority of cats are "domestic shorthairs" or "domestic longhairs" (a nice way to say "mutts"), the Cat Fanciers Association states that Persians are the most popular purebred cats. Which big-pawed, big-hearted breed came in second in 2009? Hint

Abyssinian

Siamese

Maine Coon

Ragdoll

NEXT>

Question 7 of 10

7. In 1957, a former stray dog named Laika hitched a ride on Sputnik 2 and became the first-ever animal to enter orbital space. Several other dogs followed, but which kind of animal became the second species to orbit the planet? Hint

Chimpanzee

Mouse

Rat

Cat

NEXT>

Question 8 of 10

8. The tiger is the undisputed size king of the cat family, with male Siberian tigers averaging 675 pounds. Which big cat is the runner-up? Hint

Puma

Leopard

Lion

Jaguar

NEXT>

Question 9 of 10

9. At just 0.05 ounces (that's about as much as five aspirin tablets), the aptly named bee hummingbird is the tiniest bird around. The second smallest, the little woodstar, makes its home on the lower slopes of which South American mountain range? Hint

Andes

Tuxtla

Sierra Nevada

Cantabrian

NEXT>

Question 10 of 10

10. A collie named Pal was the first dog to play Lassie, appearing in seven MGM films and two TV pilots before retiring. Which of his descendants was the second dog to play this canine star? Hint

Boy

Rin Tin Tin Senior

The Old Man

Lassie Junior

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. There are plenty of fish in the sea, and the whale shark is the biggest of them all. Which lazy-sounding critter is the second-largest species of fish?

Answer: Basking shark

The largest basking shark specimen on record measured 41 feet in length and tipped the scales at 17 tons. (Where does a 17-ton basking shark sleep? Anywhere it wants to!) The Pacuma toadfish, while the largest in the order Batrachoidiformes, doesn't get any bigger than 5 pounds or so. The snoozing ray and the bottom-sleeping sturgeon don't really exist.

2. The cheetah is the fastest land animal, but the second-fastest could outrun it over a long distance. Maxing out at 61 miles per hour, what is the runner-up in the animal land speed race?

Answer: Pronghorn

You're not likely to see this matchup in real life, since the two species inhabit different continents. Pronghorns make their "home on the range" in western and central North America.

Answer: Sauropods

The sauropods are the undeniable champs of the dinosaur size wars, including such monsters as the 110-foot Supersaurus and the 100-ton Argentinosaurus. The ornithopods, or duck-billed dinosaurs, were relatively puny, as were the horned-faced ceratopsians and even the fearsome tyrannosaurids.

4. The largest living bird, both by weight and by height, is the ostrich. Which cranky creature is the second largest living bird by weight?

Answer: Southern cassowary

Though the emu is taller, the cassowary is heavier, weighing in at up to 100 pounds. It's notoriously mean-tempered, too. According to the Guinness Book, it's the most dangerous bird (to humans) on the planet.

5. According to American Kennel Club registration statistics, the Labrador retriever is the most popular breed of dog. Which smart, protective breed came in at the #2 spot in 2009?

Answer: German shepherd

The intelligent, beautiful German shepherd has a well-deserved reputation for being a hard worker and a watchful member of the family.

Answer: Maine Coon

Super-fluffy Maine Coons are among the largest breeds of domestic cat, tipping the scales at an average 15 pounds. Their lovable personalities and mellow dispositions make them great family members (and, in this writer's opinion, much better cats than those silly squash-faced Persians).

Answer: Chimpanzee

After more than 1,200 hours of training, Enos the chimpanzee blasted into orbit aboard Mercury Atlas 5 in 1961. When he returned safe and sound to Earth, he is said to have danced happily around the recovery ship's deck and shaken hands with the crew sent to retrieve him.

8. The tiger is the undisputed size king of the cat family, with male Siberian tigers averaging 675 pounds. Which big cat is the runner-up?

Answer: Lion

Big, beautiful African lions may weigh over 550 pounds when fully grown. However, ligers (the offspring of a male lion and a female tiger) are even bigger than full-blooded tigers. The largest liger on earth weighs in at over 900 pounds.

Answer: Andes

The Sierra Nevada range is in California, the Tuxtla range is in Mexico, and the Cantabrian range is in Spain. None are home to this tiny, threatened species.

10. A collie named Pal was the first dog to play Lassie, appearing in seven MGM films and two TV pilots before retiring. Which of his descendants was the second dog to play this canine star?

Answer: Lassie Junior

Lassie Junior, like all the other dogs who played Lassie in the TV series, was male. Male collies retain thicker summer coats, so they look better on camera.

Source: Author Quizissippi

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor crisw before going online.
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