Animals In The Trees! Trivia Quiz

Answer: Chimpanzee

Chimpanzees sleep 8 or 9 hours a night on nests that they construct out of branches and leaves in trees; this helps to protect them from predators. They are able to move about the branches quite efficiently, and even eat a lot of their food above ground in the trees. Chimpanzees live in social groups called communities, which are based in the forests of West and Central Africa. Led by the dominant or alpha male, who may or may not be the physically dominant male.

The alpha male is the male within the group who has the most allies - both males and females.

There is also a ranking among the females of the group; their status may be inherited from their mother. Interestingly, male chimps use their status to find the best mates, while females typically use theirs to acquire needs, such as food. Jane Goodall's groundbreaking study at Gombe Stream National Park in the 1960s, saw dominant females killing younger ones to enhance their position in the group.

She observed that chimps are not only tool users, but also possess unique personalities.

Answer: Tree frog

The term "tree frog" refers to any species of frog that spends most of its life in trees. Tree frogs rarely climb to the ground; in fact, that is usually done only to mate and spawn. Because the adults rarely leave the trees, they have to be rather tiny. Most are smaller than their counterparts who live on the ground. Most tree frogs have discs that have developed on the tips of their fingers and toes which help them grip better.

Many tree frogs have the ability to change color and camouflage themselves.

Although hylids are considered to be tree frogs, there are some members of their family that actually do not live in trees, preferring the ground or water instead.

Answer: Woodpecker

Woodpeckers belong to the Family Picidae, which also includes wrynecks and sapsuckers. Did you know that woodpeckers have really long tongues? Depending on the species, they can be up to 4 inches long! Of course, this helps them to find food in hard-to-get-to places. Woodpeckers have zygodactyl feet, which means that two of their face the front and two face the back while they are climbing.

Their large claws, or talons, enable them to be excellent climbers. We all know that woodpeckers are incessantly drumming; they can peck up to 20 times a minute. What we might not realize is that drumming is their main way to communicate, as they do not have a vocal song like many other birds.

They even drum to attract mates! Of course, their drumming is not just confined to trees, as they will drum on anything and everything that is made of wood.

Answer: Green Iguana

Belonging to the Order Squamata, green iguanas, which do come in others colors too, are typically found in Central and South America and some of the Caribbean islands. They can live up to twenty years in captivity, however, much attention must be paid to give them the care they need.

They like hot and humid weather, and prefer to bask in a sunny environment that is about 90 degrees in temperature. So, in order to keep them as a pet, an owner would have to make sure their space is always warm enough and that they mist the animal several times a week to keep them hydrated.

Their diet is mostly vegetarian, but be sure to feed them a variety of fruits and vegetables. Some species of lizards, including green iguanas, have a parietal eye, which serves as a type of third eye.

They don't exactly have the same vision from it as they do with their eyes, but it is sensitive to light and movement, so it helps them to detect a possible predator lurking around.

Answer: Koala

Even though people call koalas "bears", they are actually marsupials, and the only members of the Phascolarctidae family. Why are they called bears, then? Because they look so cuddly! But, humans beware. They do bite! Interestingly, the koala's name comes from an Australian aboriginal word "gula" that means "no drink".

While they eat up to a kilogram of eucalyptus leaves a days, they rarely drink water. Instead, the water that their bodies need comes from the leaves. Some of the aborigine tribes believe it was the koala that helped them travel to Australia by rowing the boat. Sleeping for nearly 20 hours a day, the koala spends the majority of its time in trees, and they don't always have to be eucalyptus, although that is their preferred destination! Whenever it needs to move from tree to tree it will climb to the ground, and then walks on all fours to its next chosen destination.

Answer: Orangutan

Orangutans are more solitary animals than the other great apes; females tend to live with their offspring until they become adults; at that time the adult female offspring, as well as males, typically live alone. Adult females do have a home area, which may overlap with the areas of other females, as well as a male, who is the mating partner of the group.

There is, however, social interaction between the different orangutans in the area, but it is not always friendly! A key part of the home ranges of orangutans is the existence of fruit trees, which provide their favored food, that many animals may share.

The study of German primatologist Birute Galdikas, one of Louis Leakey's "Trimates" (including Goodall and Fossey), in the 1970s was the first to help us understand more about the lifestyle of orangutans.

Answer: Flying Lemur

Flying lemurs are really not lemurs nor do they fly! From the Order Dermoptera, they are found in Southeast Asia and the Philippines (hence the name Philippine flying lemur) and are typically described as a gliding mammal. They live in the treetops and seldom descend; their body does not allow them to be graceful climbers or walkers on the ground.

They can glide from place to place, however, and are known for being able to glide through the trees at a distance of 100 meters or more to escape from predators or find food.

The patagium, or membrane, that is found from their neck to their front and back limbs, between their digits and to their tail helps them with their fantastic gliding ability. In addition, it enables them to curl up into a ball when they sleep to cling to tree branches.

Answer: Spotted Owl

From the Order Stringiformes, spotted owls live in the forests of north America. Not only does it perch on the branches of trees, but it also chooses its nest in cavities found in larger trees. Sometimes it may claim an abandoned nests built by other animals.

They are nocturnal animals and do most of their hunting at night, waiting for their food supply to come to them, eating squirrels, woodrats, voles, and mice. During the day they can be seen roosting in their nests. Spotted owls are monogamous, meaning they typically only have one mate during their lifetime.

Some may begin breeding when they are a year old, other begin at the age of two. The female will sit on the eggs and take care of the young owlets (typically there are two), while the male brings food to the nest for the family.

Answer: Partridge

Partridges, from the Order Galliformes, have to make the list if not just for the Twelves Days of Christmas song. I must remind you, however, the partridges make their nests on the ground, so finding one in a pear tree would be pretty difficult to do! Found in Europe, Asia, and Africa, partridges are a popular game bird and are often raised by farmers and then released for hunting.

Interestingly, some species, like the grey partridge are sedentary birds. They do not migrate; when it gets cold, they roost or burrow in the snow in open fields.

The only time they leave their roost is to find food in the warm part of the day. This behavior, and the fact that their nest is on the ground, does tend to put the survival rate of the young in jeopardy.

It is estimated that only 50% of the brood is lost before the chicks are two weeks old.

Answer: Monarch Butterfly

The orange color of the monarch butterfly, from the Order Lepidoptera, may look pretty, but be warned! It is a sign to its predators that it won't taste very good. Believed to have been named after William III or England, who is also known as William of Orange, the monarch butterfly eats almost exclusively milkweed during its lava stages, however, as an adult, it dines on the nectar of plants.

The epic migration begins in the spring, and the monarch butterflies will produce four generations as they move northward.

The first three generations have life spans of 2-6 weeks, while the fourth generation will live up to nine months; they are the ones who will migrate back to their southern destination in the fall. It is estimated that this migration covers as many as 3000 miles! In many of their overwintering locations, the monarch butterflies completely cover their favorite trees.