Animals for Christmas? Trivia Quiz

Answer: Gorilla

With similar DNA to humans, gorillas are our second closest relative, next to the chimpanzee. They can walk erect on two feet for short periods but generally knuckle walk. An adult male can reach close to six feet in height and about 400 lbs in weight (with some individuals exceeding these limits). Females are about half that size.

They are very intelligent, regularly use tools and in captivity can be taught how to use sign language. In the wild the average lifespan of a gorilla is about 35 to 40 years, some living longer than that in captivity.

While a gorilla might make a cute stuffed toy, a real one would not be a good gift.

Answer: Beavers

Beavers fell trees, with said prominent teeth, and build dams on rivers to create large ponds where they build their lodges. Their dam construction is quite remarkable and if you've ever had the pleasure of seeing one you will be impressed with their craftsmanship. Unfortunately, this often diverts or blocks natural water supply which can make them a bit of a nuisance to farmers. That and their thick fur, for which they were hunted, has radically reduced their numbers, although they are not on the endangered species list in 2017. The Eurasian beaver was hunted close to the point of extinction. They are sufficiently different from the North American variety that attempts at cross breeding have not been successful.

They have a large, flat tail which they slap on the water when danger is about, to give warning to other beavers.

Answer: Giant Panda

Giant Pandas are normally black and white (although the Qinling Panda has light brown fur in place of black), live in south central China and dine almost exclusively on bamboo. In the wild they have been known to eat some birds and even carrion, while in captivity they are sometimes fed honey, fish and some fruit and vegetables, however watching them lying on their backs chewing on a piece of bamboo is almost iconic.

The Giant Panda is considered a National Treasure in China and much effort is put into their conservation and breeding as they are endangered. China loans out pandas to various zoos around the world.

Answer: Giraffe

In its simplest form an ungulate is a hoofed animal and a ruminant is an animal that chews its cud. A giraffe does both of these, but in the wild its food of choice is twigs from the Acacia tree, a tree covered in thorns. Their prehensile tongue and upper lip help them become adept at picking between the thorns. Their long necks give them an advantage in feeding, reaching food sources as high as 15 feet (4.5 m) but these same necks put them at a disadvantage when drinking water as they must spread their legs in order to reach the water, putting them at risk from crocodiles and other predators. Fortunately they get a lot of moisture from their food source and don't have to drink very often. The horns are tufted on females but not on males, helping you identify the gender of a giraffe.

With distinctive markings (large blotches of slightly varying colour and shape depending on subspecies) they are striking animals that make attractive stuffed animals.

Answer: Flamingo

When flamingos hatch they are reddish-grey in colour. Their plumage becomes pink because of their diet which, in the wild, is largely brine shrimp and blue green algae. Flamingos who eat mostly blue-green algae tend to be darker. What's really interesting about flamingos is that they eat with their heads upside down in water, filtering their food through their bills. They live in colonies and frequently can be seen standing while balancing on one thin leg. There are theories as to why they do this but nobody really knows the reason.

Stuffed animal versions usually have spindly legs that do not allow the toy to stand.

Answer: Cat

Ancient Egyptians venerated the cat and the penalty for killing or even injuring one was severe (too bad it still isn't so). They worshipped Bastet, a goddess who was half cat and half woman, and many mummified cats have been found during archeological digs.

Domestic cats are spread all over the world and some provide companionship while others are used to keep areas free of rodents. The length of their hair, their size, colouring and characteristics are as diverse as can be, with some breeds being hairless, tailless, and even with folded ears.

The stuffed toy version of cats reflects the diversity in colouring, although I have never personally seen a stuffed version of a Sphynx, the hairless cat.

Answer: Kangaroo

There are four different species of kangaroos, the largest being the red kangaroo. Next in size is the eastern grey kangaroo, which is actually the species with the largest population. Slightly smaller again and less well-known is the western grey kangaroo and then the antilopine kangaroo, which is almost as large as the red kangaroo.

All kangaroos are marsupials, which means that their young are carried and developed in a pouch from a very young age and tiny size.

Kangaroos are grazers and get around by hopping on their very powerful legs, powerful enough to kill a human. They are good swimmers and have been witnessed holding predators under water to drown them.

Answer: Elephant

The African elephant has larger ears than the Asian elephant but both have ivory tusks that have long been coveted by hunters and poachers causing the African elephant to be listed as vulnerable and the Asian elephant as endangered. Both male and female African elephants have tusks but in Asian elephants, the females have very small tusks or none at all.

All species have prehensile trunks which are used for many things.
Elephants tend to live in families consisting of females and juvenile males. Adult males are loners. Elephants are extremely intelligent and have been known to mourn the death of their family members. There was a case in Amboseli National Park where a rescue party of elephants was arranged to retrieve a calf that had been taken by another group.

Answer: Tiger

Tigers are distinctive by their largely orange and black striped fur. Their territory once included Eurasia, Sumatra, Java, Bali and most of Asia. They have lost over 90% of their range, being eliminated from many areas completely. Of the nine subspecies of tigers, three are extinct and the remaining six are endangered.

In 2016 the estimate of tigers in the wild was under 4,000, down from 100,00 at the turn of the century. About half of these remaining tigers live in India.

Answer: Rabbit

The largest population of rabbits is to be found in North America (many in my own neighbourhood) but they can also be found in parts of Africa and South America, Europe, Southeast Asia, Sumatra and some islands of Japan. They are not indigenous to Australia but were introduced there in the 18th century with unexpected results as, with few natural predators, they thrived to the point of becoming a threat to crops.

They are herbivores and are raised both for food and as pets.

They are not to be confused with hares, but telling them apart isn't always easy to do to the uninformed eye, although hares do tend to have longer hind legs and ears. The primary difference between rabbits and hares is that rabbits' young are born blind and without hair while hares' young are born with hair and good vision.

It is important to remember that the Easter bunny is a rabbit, not a hare, so the stuffed versions appearing in the spring are probably also rabbits!