Here In My Gunny Sack Trivia Quiz

Answer: Whale

The term is derived from a whale, being distressed by harpooning, trying to escape and dragging the whaling ship behind. Probably the most famous whaling ship from Nantucket was "The Essex" which was smashed apart by a harpooned sperm whale in 1820. The crew were stranded at sea for 95 days, turning to cannibalism to survive.

When rescued, there were only eight survivors of the 20 member crew. First mate Owen Chase later wrote of his ordeal and these writings are believed to have inspired Herman Melville to write "Moby Dick".

Answer: South America

The oncilla is one of the smaller species of big cat, being of a similar size to an ocelot. It has a rosette patterned fur, which gives it great camouflage in the forests of Brazil and Colombia, although its population is decreasing due to deforestation.

There have been several attempts at captive breeding by zoos around the world but the oncilla has a higher infant mortality rate in captivity than most other big cats.

Answer: Sheep

Almost half of that UK figure can be found in England alone, but even UK lags far behind Australia which has 71 million sheep, of which almost 2 million are exported annually, the biggest market being Kuwait. The main reasons given for the lack of sheep in USA is falling demand for the meat, and most Americans seeming to prefer synthetic fibres to natural wool.

Answer: Wild Pig

Peccaries, also called javelinas, are common in Central and South America and are prized by many communities for their hides and meat. They can be a ferocious adversary when harassed and have spear like canine teeth which do not protrude out of the mouth but make notable lumps in the lips. If I had a pet peccary, I'd call him Gregory!

Answer: Goat

Yes, it's the goat, the animal which gives us the milk to make such amazing cheeses as "Pantysgawn" and "Clochette" and still always seems to get bad press. Did you know, goats do not stink, apart from male goats in the breeding season, they are actually very picky eaters and terrible lawnmowers. Goats are browsers like deer, not grazers like sheep, so will only eat your lawn after they've eaten every bush and plant they can reach.

By the way, geese are anserine, mice are murine and sheep are ovine.

Answer: Striped Skunk

The skunk colony in the Forest of Dean is believed to originate from skunks that were released in 2007, after new laws made it illegal to de-scent pet skunks. Both adult animals and litters of young have been seen and photographed, indicating the skunks have adapted well to UK life. Skunks are not the only surprising animal found in UK, as the Isle of Man is home to a colony of wild wallabies, descended from escapees from a wildlife park in 1965 and now numbering over 100.

Answer: Greyhounds

Derby Lane Greyhound Track is famous in the dog racing world for being the oldest continuously operating greyhound racing venue, either in USA or the world depending on which source you use. Either way, it ran its first race in 1925 and was still holding meetings three times weekly in 2018.

In 2006, it hosted the "Derby Lane Million", the richest greyhound race in history, which was won by Grey's Calibrator. This "Kentucky Derby of greyhound racing" only ran for two years, having to be cancelled in 2008 due to lack of competitors willing to pay the $10,000 entry fee.

Answer: Southern Elephant Seal

Southern elephant seals really are gargantuan creatures, weighing in at up to 4000 kg (8800 lb) and measuring about five metres (17 ft) in length on average. They feed exclusively on fish and squid and are capable of diving great distances, often for 20 minutes or more. Polar bears by comparison weigh 540 kg, grizzlies about 400 kg and although African elephants can weigh over 6000 kg, they are not carnivorous.

Answer: Gray Wolves

In March 1995, 14 gray wolves from Alberta, Canada were released in the park, followed by 17 more wolves, also from Canada in April 1996. These 31 animals were believed to be sufficient for the animal numbers to grow naturally. By 2016, there were eleven separate wolf packs and over 100 individual animals.

Answer: Salamander

The hellbender is related to the largest of salamanders, the Chinese giant salamander but its average length of 40 cm (15.7 in) doesn't come close to its Chinese cousin which regularly reaches lengths exceeding five feet. The hellbender is found in the eastern USA and eats a diet mainly of crayfish, supplemented with small fish, toads and some water snakes.

It is also known as a mud devil or ground puppy in some states.