If I Were a Quokka Trivia Quiz

Answer: A marsupial from Australia

A quokka is a small marsupial of the macropod family, which also includes kangaroos and wallabies.

They are found mainly on Rottnest Island, off the coast of Western Australia. The first documented sighting of a quokka was in 1658 by a Dutch sailor Sauel Vokckertzoon, who called it a "wild cat". In 1698 another Dutch mariner, Willem de Vlamington thought they were giant rats, and named the island on which they were sighted "Rotte Nest" meaning "rat nest". The name of the island eventually became Rottnest Island.

Quokkas weigh between 2.5 and 5 kilograms (5.5 to 11 lbs) and are 40 to 90 centimetres long (16 to 35 inches). Their tails are 25 to 30 centimetres (9.8 to 11.8 inches) long. They are brown in colour, and unlike other macropods, can climb small trees. They are classified as vulnerable.

Answer: A mammal found on Madagascar

A tenrec is a small mammal found mainly on Madagascar and small parts of the African mainland. In appearance they look similar to hedgehogs, opossums, otters or mice, and they come in various sizes. They are omnivores and mostly nocturnal. There are several species on Madagascar and three on the African mainland. Females can have up to 29 teats - more than any other mammal and they can have as many as 30 young.

Answer: A forest dwelling antelope from Africa

A bongo is an ungulate and is one of the largest of Africa's forest antelopes. They are mostly nocturnal and are herbivores. They have a reddish-brown coat with whitish yellow stripes. Their horns slope backwards and are long, slightly spiralled, and are unique in that the female also has horns, although smaller than the male's.

There are two species, the lowland or western bongo and the mountain or eastern bongo, which is rarer. Males are generally solitary whilst females and their young live in groups of six to eight.

The gestation period is approximately 285 days and one calf only is born.

Answer: A freshwater turtle from South America

Mata mata's are large turtles found mainly in the Amazon and Orinoco basins. They have a long snout with a "horn" on the end. Their carapace can be as long as 45 cm (18 in) and are brown or black in colour and resemble bark. An adult can weigh up to 15 kb (33lb).

They prefer to live in slow moving streams, marshes and swamps. They cannot chew so swallow fish whole, by sucking them into their mouths.

Answer: A rare small species of porpoise

A vaquita is a rare species of porpoise and can be found in the Gulf of California. "Vaquita" is Spanish for "little cow". It is estimated there are only 100 to 300 left in the wild. They are also known as gulf porpoise, Gulf of California porpoise and cochito.

They are found only in the northern end of the Gulf of California. They have patches on their lips with dark rings circling their eyes. A line runs from their mouths to dorsal fins. They are dark grey in colour that fades to white on their bellies.

They grow lighter in colour as they mature. Females are slightly larger than the males. Their diet mainly consists of small fish and squid. Not a lot is known about these animals, but its believed they live to about twenty years.

Answer: A forest dwelling bovine from Vietnam

Saolas are rare forest dwelling bovines found only in the Annamite Range in Vietnam and Laos. They are also known as Vu quang ox, and Asian unicorn. It was first discovered in 1992 when remains were found in a nature reserve. The first living saola was photographed in the wild in 2013. Their habitat is mountain forests up to 1800 m above sea level, but they come to the lowlands in winter. They are shy and keep away from cultivated areas and humans. Over the years, several have been captured by villagers, but all have died. They are from the family Bovidae and their closest relations are bison, true buffalo and cattle.

They weigh up to 90-100 kgs and are about 90 cm tall at the shoulder. They have soft, chocolate brown fur, with the neck and belly slightly paler. They have white patches scattered on their bodies, with vertical stripes on their cheeks and a black strip that extends from between the shoulders to the top of their tail. Their tails are tri-coloured with three horizontal bands of medium brown, cream and black.

Answer: An arboreal mammal from Central and South America

Also known as the honey bear, a kinkajou resembles a monkey or a lemur but are not closely related to either. They are nocturnal animals and live in Central and South America. They are hunted for their fur and meat. Adults weigh up to 4.6 kg (10 lb) and adults are up to 60 cm (24 in) long, which does not include their tail, which measures up to 60 cm (24 in).

A kinkajou's fur has two coats, the undercoat being grey and the outer coat of gold or brownish-grey. Being nocturnal, it has large eyes. They can be found from Mexico, through Central America, to Bolivia and southern Brazil.

They are omnivores and have rather long tongues to enable them to lick nectar. They are sometimes kept as pets.

Answer: A native cat-like animal from Africa and Asia

Civets are nocturnal animals that live in tropical forest areas of Asia and Africa. There are over ten different species, most found in southeast Asia. Another name for the civet is "toddycat". They are cat-like animals although their muzzle is sometimes pointed, like an otter or mongoose.

They can weigh up to 4.5 kg (10 lb) and are up to 71 cm (28 in) long, excluding their tail. They produce a "musk" (which is also called civet) that is a valuable fragrance and stabiliser for perfume.

Answer: A newly discovered bird from Brazil

The Araripe manakin is a rare bird discovered in 1996. Its name in Portugese is "soldadinho-do-Araripe" (translates to little soldier of Araripe), because of its helmet-like crown. They have been found only in one small area in Brazil. The male has mainly white plumage, with the wings and tail being black and a red patch over the crown to the middle back.

Its iris is red. The females are predominately olive green. It is one of the rarest birds in the world, with only about 500 pairs in the wild.

Answer: An antelope species from Kenya and Somalia

An hirola, also called "Hunter's hartebeest' or "Hunter's antelope" is a species of antelope found on the border of Kenya and Somalia. They weigh up to 118 kg and their horns can be as long as 70 cms. Their horns are ringed and lyre-shaped. They are a sandy-brown colour and have a small white stripe across bridge of their nose.

They live in herds of about eight members with one dominant male, however these groups can sometimes grow to forty animals. The gestation period is 7-8 months resulting in a single calf.

Their population is declining and it is estimated there are only about 1,200 left in the wild. They are an endangered species.