Colourful Wildlife Trivia Quiz

Answer: Red panda

More like a large domestic cat in size than a giant panda, the red panda (Ailurus fulgens) does however share the giant panda's love of bamboo. Its diet is not so narrow and it will also eat small mammals, birds, eggs and berries. It is endemic to the Himalayas.

Answer: New Zealand

The yellow-eyed penguin is found on the south-east coast of New Zealand's South Island and further south. It is the sole surviving penguin in the Megadyptes genus and appears to have moved north into the territory of the now-extinct Waitaha penguin of the same genus.

The population numbers around 4,000, making it one of the world's rarest penguins. The Waitaha penguin seems to have disappeared by the 15th century, with hunting by settlers probably playing a part in the extinction.

Answer: As a warning to potential enemies

There are some eight species in this Australasian genus which are also known as blue-tongued lizards or blue tongues. They are diurnal omnivores and do not use venom, preferring to ambush any mobile food. Although they eat fruit, their diet is too varied to colour their tongue. Defensive behaviour can include holding its breath to make it seem bigger and flashing its blue tongue as a warning.

Answer: Grey wolf

Research in the 2010s points to a shared wolf-like European ancestor which became extinct about 40,000 years ago. The extinct northern Asian Taymyr wolf also shared this European ancestor and its genes can be found in such dogs as the Siberian husky and Greenland dog.

The grey wolf (also known as gray wolf, timber wolf or western wolf) is a member of the Canis lupus species while the domestic dog has been placed in the subspecies Canis lupus familiaris.

Answer: Butterfly

The purple-spotted butterfly (Graphium weiskei) can only be found in the highlands of Papua New Guinea. It is one of around 1,700 species found in Papua New Guinea and perhaps 20,000 found in the world. Moth species add over 130,000 more to the total and there are thought to be many more awaiting discovery.

Answer: Jackal

The golden jackal (also known as the Eurasian golden jackal, the common jackal, the Asiatic jackal or the reed wolf) typically has a range extending from the Balkans in Europe through the Middle East, India and into South Asia. It is like a grey wolf in appearance, but is smaller, lighter, and shorter in leg and tail.

In "The Jungle Book" the golden jackal feeds on the wolf pack's scraps and acts as Shere Khan's assistant. The Aeroflot hybrids are known as Sulimov dogs, after the breed developer. They are a quarter-bred hybrids and trained to sniff out explosives for airport security in sub-zero temperatures.

Answer: USA

Typically found in south-eastern states in the US, the southern black racer is more of a crusher than a constrictor. With its white chin, it is sometimes confused with the venomous cottonmouth and killed. Natural enemies are mainly hawks. There are various subspecies featuring the colours brown, tan, yellow, green and blue in their common names.

Answer: Collecting seaweed

Surprisingly perhaps, about 80% (or 270 tonnes) of the supply of spat for the industry comes from seaweed washed up on one beach - 90 Mile Beach - at the northern end of North Island.

The amount collected is highly variable with some years when none is collected from the beach. The balance typically comes from hairy ropes hanging in water near mussel farms. Hatchery-produced spats are expensive but are likely to increase due to selective breeding for desirable traits and more reliable production rates.

Answer: Bird

The silvereye is endemic to Australia and New Zealand, although it may be a relatively recent arrival in New Zealand, being first recorded in 1832. A mixed blessing in the garden, they'll eat plenty of pest insects but also are quite partial to a wide range of fruit.

A passerine is a bird belonging to the order Passeriformes which accounts for more than half of all bird species. A distinguishing feature of a passerine is that on each foot three toes point forward and one points backwards, helping the bird to perch.

Answer: All except the Southern (Antarctic) and Arctic Oceans

The great white shark is typically found in coastal waters in the temperature range of 12 to 24 degrees Celsius. Individuals have also been tracked migrating between continents and also to depths of 1,200 metres.

Their ability to catch speedy prey is enhanced by being able to keep certain parts of their body above sea temperature. They also have electromagnetic sensors called ampullae of Lorenzini, which enable them to pick up movements (even the heartbeats) of other animals.

The great white has a reputation for attacking people however some theorise that people are not a preferred food, being too bony and therefore taking too long to digest. The shark often takes a test bite and may move on. Others point out that its tactic with other prey is often to disable the animal with its initial bite and then wait for it to die. People being rescued after the first bite defeats this tactic.