Guest List to Hell Trivia Quiz

Answer: Tasmanian devil

As the name suggests, the Tasmanian devil is found in Australia's island state, Tasmania - although the fossil record suggests that thousands of years ago they inhabited the wider Australian mainland. While the reasons behind their ancient population decline are unclear, modern threats to their survival include the unpleasant devil facial tumour disease (or DFTD) and road accidents.

Tasmanian devils are the largest carnivorous marsupial species and are well-adapted to both killing prey and chomping on carrion. Their diet includes small animals and birds as well as larger prey such as wombats, sheep and even the odd small kangaroo. So even if they didn't tend to emit an unpleasant smell to mark their territory, they're not exactly cute, cuddly pet material.

Answer: Thorny devil

The thorny devil (Moloch horridus) is known by a variety of alternative names, including moloch, thorny dragon or mountain devil. Moloch was a Canaanite god of child sacrifice. This lizard can be found in the desert areas of central and western Australia, but you would need to look hard to find it as it is a master at camouflaging itself with its surroundings and is capable of changing colours for different seasons of the year.

The thorny devil's spiky appearance is a defence mechanism aimed at ensuring that it would be an unpalatable and distinctly painful meal for potential predators.

Answer: Hickory horned devil

Caterpillars go through several stages of development (known as instars) before they are ready to pupate and hatch out into moths or butterflies. The hickory horned devil is the caterpillar of Citheronia regalis, which is also known as the regal moth or royal walnut moth. These little creatures are generally found across the United States but are more common in the south of the country.

While it might look dangerous, this type of caterpillar is harmless to humans. However, it is capable of inflicting quite a bit of damage to its host plant during the month-and-a-bit that it spends actively feeding.

Answer: Devil's flower mantis

The devil's flower mantis or giant devil's flower mantis has the scientific name Idolomantis diabolica. It is often known as 'giant' because it is one of the largest species of praying mantis and can grow up to about 4-5 inches (10-13 cm) in length.

Adults are generally green in appearance, but their underparts are a mix of black, red, purple and white. They are capable of sitting extremely still with their front legs raised in such a way that these bright colours make them look like a flower - the point being to attract insects to come close enough to be captured and devoured.

Answer: Sand devil

Somewhat ironically, the sand devil is a species of angelshark. It would be easy to mistake for a ray, as its body is quite flat and it likes lurking about in the mud and sand of the seabed. They generally eat smaller fish or squid but have also been known to prey on crabs, shrimp and other crustaceans.

Clearly, this 'devil' shark is not in the same league danger-wise as its great white cousin. However, it is capable of inflicting injuries on any humans who get too close to it - usually fishermen who have accidentally caught it up in their nets.

Answer: Devil crab

The devil crab, Necora puber, is perhaps more commonly known as the velvet swimming crab or velvet crab. Its less flattering name comes from its ability to viciously defend itself when threatened. These crabs can move quite fast through the water and as such have been given the nickname of "zippies" by British fishermen. Like other species of swimming crabs, one pair of its legs is noticeably flatter than the others and effectively used as paddles.

Devil crab is a popular item on menus, particularly in Spain which imports significant numbers in addition to the ones that can be caught locally.

Answer: Satanic leaf-tailed gecko

The reptile in question is Uroplatus phantasticus, commonly known as the satanic leaf-tailed gecko. It is nocturnal so spends most of its days sitting around in a tree and blending into the background of leaves in order to avoid potential predators. It is usually predominantly reddish-brown, often with yellow patches, which helps it to look like a decaying leaf. Its most striking featured is its notched, leaf-shaped tail.

Since their range is limited to Madagascar, these creatures are vulnerable to habitat loss. However, perhaps the biggest threat to the survival of wild populations is their popularity as pets and the consequent illegal trading of them.

Answer: Devil's coachman

Also known as the devil's coach-horse beetle, devil's footman or devil's steed, it is clear that this creature was not particularly well-liked at the time it was identified and named. It measures about an inch (2.5 cm) in length and when threatened will 'rear up' and open its jaws - a position that makes it look a bit like a small scorpion. The ability to eject a foul-smelling liquid is another of its defensive tricks and if that doesn't work then it can always inflict a painful bite.

Thanks to humans, these beetles have been introduced to other areas of the world so can also be found in the Americas and Australia.

Answer: Devil stinger

Stonefishes are renowned for being amongst the most venomous fish on the planet, so it shouldn't be a surprise that touching its close relative, the devil stinger (Inimicus didactylus, also known by a range of other unflattering names such as demon stinger, goblinfish or bearded ghoul), would be a bad idea. It isn't a particularly attractive creature though - having wart-like bumps over its body in addition to its venomous spines - so hopefully you'd never be tempted to pet one in the first place. However, they do have brightly-coloured fins that they will often display to predators (or divers) as a warning.

It also has the unusual ability (for a fish) of being able to 'walk' along the seabed on its fins.

Answer: Humpback blackdevil

The humpback blackdevil is also known as the humpback anglerfish or Johnson's anglerfish. It was first discovered by humans in the late 19th century when an English naturalist named James Yate Johnson found one off the coast of Madeira. However, they can normally be found between 200 and 1,500 metres below sea-level - a depth to which very little or no sunlight can penetrate.

Relatively little is known about this species of fish thanks to the inhospitable environment in which it lives, but the few specimens that have been found have allowed scientists to discover its extreme sexual dimorphism in terms of physical size. It is definitely not something you would ever be served up in a restaurant under the generic description of "fish".