Fauna of British Columbia Trivia Quiz

Answer: Pine

The marten, or pine marten, is an animal that is a lot like a weasel. Often, it is tawny or brown in color. The animal has a very shaggy tail and small ears. It is seen all over Canada and her islands.

Answer: Each of these is correct

The cougar is known by all these names as well as the term "mountain lion". It likes to ambush its prey whether it is a deer or a small rodent. It has retractable claws which it uses to hold its prey. Fragmentation of their environment is a threat to their populations.

Answer: Snowshoe hare

The snowshoe hare is found all over Canada and the USA. While it is brown in the summer it gets a white coat when winter comes. They can have four litters a year. It eats mostly plants but will eat, on occasion, dead animals.

Answer: Marmot

Four species of marmot are found in British Columbia, including one specific to Vancouver Island. It is a large squirrel-like animal which eats berries, lichens, mosses, roots, grasses and flowers. This ground dwelling animal has declining populations due to deforestation and loss of habitat.

Answer: Bat

The Keen's long-eared myotis is a type of bat. Like most bats, it is nocturnal and eats insects. It likes to live in coastal habitats. It was named for John Keen, who captured the first of these bats to be studied scientifically.

Answer: Herbivorous

The Roosevelt elk is a herbivorous animal who eats grass, berries, and mushrooms. It is a fairly long lived animal with a lifespan of twenty years or more. These animals live in herds that graze on the grasslands of British Columbia.

Answer: Humpback whale

The humpback whale is a type of giant whale. They often dine on krill and fish that swim in shoals, such as herring. This endangered and protected species has a twelve month pregnancy and breeds only every two years or so. There are whale watching tours available in British Columbia.

Answer: Lutrinae

The river otter is a carnivorous predator that feasts on fish, frogs, and snails. They live in burrows that they dig that have an outlet to the river. Their sensitive whiskers allow them to detect prey in murky water. The Canadian species, Lutra canadensis, is found only along the coastal areas of British Columbia.

Answer: False

The Vancouver Island water shrew is sexually dimorphic but the males are larger and heavier. This animal can run on the surface of water. Because of their high metabolic rate these animals cannot go more than three hours without food.

Answer: True

This heron is a wading bird found all over the coastal regions of British Columbia. They eat shrimp, crabs, rodents and small fish. These birds live in colonies and nest in trees. The young are preyed on by hawks, ravens and turkey vultures.