Follow That...Thing! Trivia Quiz

Answer: Dumbo octopus

The Dumbo octopus derives its name from the unusual fins that protrude from the top of their mantle. These deep sea creatures are rarely seen due to their rarity, as well as the difficulty in studying all deep sea creatures. The Dumbo octopus has eight tentacles which are joined together with webbing. Each tentacle has a row of suckers as well bristle-like hair, known as cirri, which are used in the ongoing search for prey.

This octopus swallows it food whole, preferring shrimp, crabs, and worms. Unlike many octopi, the Dumbo octopus does not have ink sacs as it would not be of any use in dark abyss.

Answer: Mammal

Covered in large, triangular-shaped scales, the pangolin is one of the most unique mammals in the world. Pangolins are sometimes called 'scaly anteaters', despite the fact that they are not closely related to anteaters or aardvarks. They make their homes in Africa and small areas of tropical Asia. Their skin, complete with scales, has been used to make crude suits of armor for centuries.
When the pangolin feels threatened, it rolls into a ball, raises its scales and looks like a large pinecone. They also excrete a foul-smelling liquid which is usually enough to keep most predators at bay.

Answer: India

The long-nosed crocodilian known as the gharial is found in India and other areas of southeast Asia. The narrow, elongated jaw is home to over 100 interlocking, extremely sharp teeth which are used to catch fish. This unusual animal is one of the largest of the crocodilian species with adult males reaching 20-23 feet (6 to 7 m) in length. Very agile in the water, the gharial rarely ventures onto dry land because of its clumsy gait and short legs. Due to habitat loss and poaching there were fewer than 1,000 of these unique animals in the wild at the turn of the 21st century.

Answer: Sight

The star-nosed mole is practically blind, but it makes up for this deficiency by using the tentacles which surround its nose. When hunting, the star-nosed mole is so fast that its movements can hardly be seen by the human eye. Their tentacles move six times faster than the human hand or fingers.

They are found in many parts of northern North America and at home both on land and in the water. This is a social animal, and is active both day and night. It is an opportunistic feeder and is known to eat insects, small fish, and mollusks.

Answer: Forest

The mandrill is usually considered to be the most brightly colored mammal on the planet. The adult males have skin on their faces and rumps in shades of bright blue, red, purple, yellow, and white. The mandrill is a type of baboon which are found in heavily forested areas.

The males have large fangs which are mostly used for self-defense and fighting with other males. Their diet consists mainly of fruit and insects. These are shy, retiring creatures who attempt to avoid all contact with humans, but will attack if provoked.

It is considered to be one of the largest monkey species on the planet and are thought to live for over forty years.

Answer: False

The fascinating narwhal is not a shark, but is in fact, a type of whale. Found in Arctic waters, these whales sport a long spiral tooth which are used to break up ice and to fight for dominance. They are known to eat shrimp, squid, and small fish.

Answer: They became extinct in 1932.

The heath hen was once very plentiful and found all over many parts of North America. Easily hunted, they were a popular game bird for both Native Americans and European colonists. By 1870, they were believed to be extinct on the mainland and were only found on the islands of Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts.

It was there that they were hunted to extinction by humans and domestic cats. The male of the species had prominent pinnae feathers which looked like horns. Both genders had auburn to brown feathers and weighed around two pounds (0.9kg).

Answer: False

The ground cuscus is found on the islands of New Guinea and is just one of the many unusual animals indigenous to these islands. They can be found in caves, in trees, and even underground, having adapted to the geography in which they live. This shy marsupial gives birth to only one baby at a time and is usually a shy and solitary animal by nature. Very little is known about this endangered, mainly nocturnal herbivore as it is rarely seen and even harder to catch.

Answer: Blob fish

This slimy creature of the deep sea is known as a blob fish. It has gooey, pudding textured flesh which is an adaptation to the pressures of deep sea life. Found off the coast of Australia, the blob fish appears to simply float in the water and use the currents for propulsion. The female lays her eggs on the sea floor and then hovers over them eating whatever happens to float by. This unusual creature shrivels up when exposed to air and is completely inedible. It is threatened by deep sea fishing nets which accidently trap it while in search of more palatable sea life.

Answer: Digging

Weighing less than a pound, the pink fairy armadillo is the smallest member of the armadillo family. It is indigenous to Central and South America. It is a very skilled digger and can bury itself in a matter of seconds if it feels threatened. It is often found in burrows beside anthills, which are home to its primary source of food.

This solitary and nocturnal animal is not often seen and is very wary of humans. The major threat to the pink fairy armadillo is habitat destruction and domestic dogs.