Animals - Now and Then Trivia Quiz

Answer: Colubrinae

Some other members of this subfamily are the eastern indigo snake and Japanese vine snakes (common also in China, India, Sri Lanka and other parts of Southeast Asia). Milk snakes are divided into 24 subspecies and represent no danger for human beings.

Answer: Megalania

It is possible that the first aboriginal colonizers of the Australian continent might have encountered living representatives of the species. The term (Megalania prisca) was coined by sir Richard Owen and it can be translated as "ancient great roamer".

Answer: True

It's true. Carnivorous mammals are divided into two suborders - Caniformia (doglike) and Feliformia (catlike). The latter includes cats, hyenas, mongooses and civets and their subspecies. On the other hand, racoons, weasels and seals all belong to the Caniformia suborder.

Answer: Thracians

Progenitors of the breed started forming as early as the third millennium B.C. In Bulgaria this type of dog is still used as a defender of sheeps from wolves and bears (just like in the time of Thracians). In ancient times the breed was also used as a border army watchdog.

Answer: Norwegian forest cat

The Norwegian name for this breed is Skogkatt. Vikings used these cats as mice hunters. Young brides were presented kittens of this breed, because cats were associated with Freyja, the goddess of love. A Viking belief says that Freyja's cart was drawn by these forest cats.

Answer: North America and South America

Bisons and camels often turned into prey for this carnivore. The smilodon roamed the earth for about 2,5 million years, becoming extinct probably 10,000 years ago. Three subtypes have been recognized - Smilodon fatalis, Smilodon gracilis and Smilodon populator.

Answer: liger

Ligers are hybrids between a male lion and a female tiger. Males often weigh about 360 kg., females achieve 320. Male ligers often exceed length of 3 (or even 3.5) metres which makes them bigger than Siberian tigers. The tigon is the offspring of a male tiger and a lioness.

They usually weigh about 180 kg. They are on average smaller than ligers because of a growth-inhibitory gene they inherit from the lioness mother. The largest kind of tiger is the Siberian. Males vary between 180 and 306 kg., females are about 40-45% lighter. Lions usually are in the range of 170-190 kg. (males) and 115-130 kg. (females).

Some loners can top 250 kg., but this is a rare (and definitely not the usual) case.

Answer: it lived in the Early Jurassic period

The archaeopteryx lived about 150 million years ago, which was actually during the Late Jurassic period that spans from 161 to about 145 million years ago. The Early Jurassic period lasted between 201 and 174 million years ago. Urvogel means first/original bird.

Answer: thylacine

The thylacine was also called Tasmanian tiger (because of the stripes on its back) or Tasmanian wolf (because of the head shape). Farmer Wilf Batty shot the last thylacine in the wild in 1930. The last captive thylacine died six years later.

Answer: its tail is twice shorter than the total length of its body and head

Actually, the tail length is almost equal to the overall size of the binturong's body and head. The latter ranges between 71 and 84 cm., the former varies from 66 to 69 cm. Monotypic means there is only one species belonging to this genus.

Answer: falcons, parrots and kestrels

The above-mentioned studies showed strongest genetic similarity between phorusrhacidae and extant groups of birds such as Falconidae (falcons, caracaras and kestrels included), Psittaciformes (better known as parrots) and passeriformes (perching birds). Hawks and eagles fall into the Accipitridae family. Ravens are part of the Corvidae. Secretary birds belong to the Sagittariidae family.

Answer: False

The term is used as a reference to predators with no natural enemies. All species that top their food chain are considered apex predators. Some of them definitely are hypercarnivores - lions, tigers, hyenas, leopards, jaguars, polar bears, constrictor snakes, killer whales, wolves and crocodiles. On other hand, humans, grizzly bears, african civets, arctic foxes and chimpanzees are all omnivores, but are still regarded as apex predators.

The Asian black bear is mostly (though not entirely) herbivorous, but it tops the food chain of its habitat and is thus also an apex predator.

Answer: 4

These include the aardwolf, which feeds mainly on termites and other insects, and the bone-crushing variations of the species (brown, spotted and striped hyenas). The name "aardwolf" comes from Afrikaans and means "earth wolf". The spotted hyena is also known as laughing hyena.

Answer: most of these birds died out about 600 years ago

Most of these birds are considered to have died out about 1400 A.D., so yes, it was roughly 600 years ago when most moas became extinct. The largest species weighed about 230 kg. Moas were herbivores. Unlike other ratites like ostriches, moas lacked even rudimental wings.

The Maori people are considered to have been the main reason for the (near) disappearance of this species. The use of words like "near" and "most" where employed is necessary, because there are still (from time to time) some speculations that some exemplars may still exist.

Answer: their conservation status

Ravens have bigger bills and are generally larger (24-27 inches long) than crows (usually about 17 inches long). Crows live up to 8 years, ravens reach much older age (30 years). Crows prefer urban landscapes and are generally more social birds. Ravens tend to dwell in less populated and wilder areas. Both species are listed as least concern.

Answer: the breed arrived in Northern Europe with Finns

Actually it was the Sami (indigenous people of the northern areas of Finland, Sweden, Norway and far northwestern Russia) who relied on these dogs for deer herding in ancient times. Another breed they used for the same purpose is nowadays known as Swedish lapphund.

Answer: a Tibetan mastiff

Dogs of this breed reach significant size and weight. Some of them are very hairy. The fur color varies and some representatives of the species have the same body and mane hue as lions. The zoo tried to present some other dog as wolf. In another cage a white fox was shown off as leopard.

Answer: the Indian rhinoceros

It is also called the greater one-horned rhinoceros. The species is listed as vulnerable. Its habitat includes the areas of the Assam region of India, the protected lands of the Terai in Nepal and pasturages in the foothills of the Himalayan mountains.

By the way, another kind of one-horned rhino exists in Java. It is usually referred to as lesser one-horned rhinoceros due to being smaller than the Indian.

Answer: it is listed as least concern

Actually, the genus is listed as endangered. The wild population is estimated to number less than 5,000 animals.

Answer: False

It's false. Despite of killing 30 to 40 people a year with their venomous stings, giant hornets are no match for humans. Even though Japan's murder rate is quite low with less than one of 100,000 people becoming an object of homicide, you should mind that as of 2014 the country's population numbers 127,220,000. This means about 1272 victims of killing every year.

Answer: a giant ground sloth

The megalonyx was endemic to North America. Its total length fluctuated between 2,5 and 3 metres and a full-grown sloth of this type could weigh up to 1 ton. Remains have been found as far north as Yukon and Alaska.

Answer: emerald tree boa

As their name suggests, emerald tree boas can rarely be found on the ground. Their natural habitat are the rain forests of South America. A female can produce between 6 and 14 eggs (respectively youngsters).

Answer: they belonged to a specific maneless kind

Lions of this breed have neither mane, nor smooth pelt. They are larger than other lion species and actively partake in hunting. Usually a pride consists of a single male lion (unlike other subtypes where male members can number from 2 to 8) and 7 to 8 females.

Answer: nak

Another term, indicating the animal is a female, is dri. Yaks are part of the cattle family. Most of them are nowadays domesticated. The species's conservation status is vulnerable. In Nepal, Mongolia and Tibet a crossbreed between yaks and domestic cattle is also common. While male hybrids known also as dzo are infertile, females (dzomo or zhom) may be intercrossed with cattle.

Answer: True

This male Kodiak was named Clyde. He lived at the Dakota zoo in Bismarck, North Dakota. His weight, when he died at the age of 22 in June 1987, was 966.9 kg. The zoo director Terry Lincoln claimed that a year earlier Clyde probably weighed about 1090 kg.

He most likely did, but no one measured him at that time, so the official reports claim 966.9 kg. as the maximum weight reached by a captive Kodiak by now (2014).