Animals of the Outback Trivia Quiz

Answer: Cattle raising

Dingoes are able to live on many different terrains. They are commonly associated with desert lands but they also live in wetlands, forests and even colder habitats. Dingoes live more populously in areas where cattle raising is heaviest. In fact, the dispersal of dingoes within Australia is almost perfectly aligned with where the most cattle are raised. Dingoes typically prey on cattle and sheep but have also been known to fish. Because of their predatory tendencies, farmers and ranchers in the Outback often hunt dingoes to keep them away from their herds. Dingoes may also be poisoned and dead dingoes are sometimes hung on fences as a further deterrence.

Answer: Brumbies

Brumbies are descendants of horses brought to Australia from Europe. Horses are not normally endemic to Australia. Brumbies, although feral, have been known to be helpful to humans and are sometimes kept as pets and work horses. They are also common sights in horse and pony shows. Brumbies live all over Australia but are more common in the Northern Territory, in areas where the Outback is not as harsh and unforgiving.

Answer: From its diet

Like a number of Outback animals, the bilby can obtain enough water from its diet of seeds, fruits and small insects. Water sources are extremely rare in the Outback so this is a necessity. The bilby also keeps cool by burrowing under the ground which has the added benefit of protecting it from predators.

Answer: Lizard

The perentie is a kind of lizard that is one of the largest in the world. It is sometimes confused for a crocodile given its shape and color. Perenties live primarily in the Australian Outback near loose rocks and soil. They spend the majority of their time underground which means they are very rarely seen. Perenties carry a mild venom that can cause swelling and pain but is rarely lethal to humans.

The perentie is probably best known for being used in medicines by ancient Aborigines.

Answer: Venom

The mountain devil lizard is commonly called the thorny devil or moloch. Its most striking feature is the thorny spikes that cover its entire body and make it inedible to most would-be predators. It will also present a false head on the back of its neck if it feels threatened.

The thorny devil can change its coloration to whatever landscape it is in. It is typically reddish brown because it primarily lives in the Outback.

Answer: Camels

Feral camels are huge threats to the Outback ecosystem. Camels were the primary mode of transportation in the Outback until the 1920s and 1930s when they were replaced by cars and other motor vehicles. The camels were released into the wild and quickly multiplied, forming large colonies. Feral camels threaten Aborigine life, landmarks and sacred grounds. Feral camels have also destroyed manmade water sources in the Outback and were blamed for exacerbating a devastating drought in the early 21st century.

Answer: Grey and pink

The galah is also called the pink and grey or the rose cockatoo. Originally the galah lived only in the Outback but European colonization brought the bird in small numbers to towns. Over the centuries, the galah has become increasingly popular across the Australian mainland and even into Tasmania.

Answer: An adult female red kangaroo is almost always pregnant

Female red kangaroos have a very short pregnancy, lasting about 33 days. As soon as a female gives birth, it is ready to become pregnant again as another egg will fall into its uterus. Kangaroos will copulate as soon as possible. However, female kangaroos have the ability of diapause, which means they can intentionally prevent a fertilized egg from developing. Diapause can last up to a year when the previous joey no longer needs to live in her pouch.

Answer: Bird

Corellas are birds that are closely related to parrots. They are primarily pure white though some species may be lightly tinted with various colors. Corellas are generally small in size when compared to other birds in the Outback.

Answer: Tasmanian devil

The Tasmanian devil lives only on the island of Tasmania, which is not part of the Outback region.

Freshwater crocodiles are notorious in the wet parts of the Outback. They are also called Australian crocodiles or colloquially as freshies. Freshwater crocodiles typically live in low level billabongs and other somewhat shallow water sources.

Budgerigars are birds similar to parrots and lorries. They are typically bright in color, most commonly seen with yellow heads, green breasts and black backs.

The Outback is the only known home of the Centralian tree frog. It lives in a very small area within the MacDonnell Ranges. This frog closely resembles the Australian green tree frog, except that the Centralian tree frog has tiny white spots on its back.