Mammals Starting With "M" Trivia Quiz

Answer: Queen Alexandra of the United Kingdom started wearing mole fur.

In order to reduce the severe pest problem that moles were causing in Scotland, Queen Alexandra, wife of Edward VII, introduced the fashion of wearing mole fur. This caused the population to look at hunting moles as a way to supplement their income. Moles are very agile and can run backwards as well as running forward.

The diurnal mole needs to hunt every few hours or risk starvation. They love hunting worms and will store large caches of them in their underground labyrinths.

Answer: Brazil

Marmosets are New World monkeys and are found in many countries of South America including Brazil. They can be seen high in the tree tops where they dine on insects, leaves, and tree sap. These monkeys are very adaptable and move around frequently. They can be found in small family groups of two or three, or as many as a hundred may live together in a colony.

They do not sprout their distinctive ear tufts until they are at least one year old.

Answer: Desert mink

The American mink is the largest of the mink species and the most numerous. The European mink is slightly smaller and is one of the most endangered mammals in Europe. The sea mink was hunted into extinction around 1865. All of these animals are hunted extensively for their fur. Minks are nocturnal carnivores who love the water.

They prey on voles, rabbits, snakes and fish, and in turn, are eaten by wolves, coyotes, and large birds of prey.

Answer: True

The colorful mandrill is the largest species of monkey. Don't get it confused with the gorilla or orangutan which are apes, not monkeys. The mandrill has sharp canines that are usually used for defense as opposed to using them to catch food. They dine of fruit, roots, insects and amphibians.

The adult males have colorful patches on their faces and their rumps, while the females are drabber in color. The mandrill is shy and reclusive and can be hard to find in the rainforests of equatorial Africa, where they live.

Answer: Twig eater

The majestic moose is North America's largest deer. It derives its name from the Algonquin term for "twig eater". In the summer it eats buds and leaves from the many trees which grow in northern regions. When near water, it also eats aquatic plants such as grass and water lilies. All year around it can be seen eating the twigs from trees and bushes in the area.

Other than humans, the only other animals that are a real threat to the moose are the wolf and the bear. As with many words, the exact etymology of 'moose' is a matter of scholarly debate.

Answer: Elephant

The slow-moving manatee is most closely related to the elephant. They are believed to have evolved from the same land animal approximately 50 million years ago. The manatee is an herbivorous mammal that is known to eat 10% of its body weight in plant mass every day.

They prefer warmer waters and can be found in many tropical/sub-tropical regions of the world. One of the biggest threats to manatees is the propellers on motor boats. Most adult manatees have multiple scars on their bodies from being cut by a propeller. Sadly, this is one of the biggest causes of death for the manatee.

Answer: Goat

The mountain-loving markhor is one of the largest and most striking of goats. The markhor has heavy spiraling horns and a thick, heavy coat. They are very nimble climbers and can be found in the mountainous regions of Afghanistan, Pakistan and other countries of central Asia.

The markhor is critically endangered and there were thought to be less than 3,000 members in the wild at the turn of the 21st century. The main threat to these magnificent animals is deliberate hunting for their meat and their horns. Habitat loss is also an ongoing problem.

Answer: Above you, in the trees.

The margay is sometimes called a tree ocelot because of its resemblance to the ocelot and the fact that they spend the majority of their lives in the trees. They are able to climb straight down a tree trunk, just like a squirrel. They feast on arboreal frogs, birds, and monkeys.

They have large eyes to assist them with their nocturnal hunting and mating which unlike other cats, takes place in the trees.

Answer: Gangs

A meerkat is not a cat but rather, it a type of mongoose. They live in southern regions of Africa and are usually nocturnal insectivores. They live in loosely related groups known as gangs or mobs. They live in underground burrows that have usually been dug by other animals. For meerkats, there is safety in numbers and access to the social interaction that they find necessary.

In order to keep the gang together, they spend much of their time grooming and playing with each other.

Answer: False

The minke whale is one of the smallest baleen whales. There are many whales that are larger including the blue, the gray, the humpback, and the right whale. The minke whale has been seen in oceans around the world, but are most prominent in the Northern Hemisphere.

They are one of the favorite prey animals of the orca (killer whale). They breach and sky-hop more often than many other whales and are often the target whale for those going out whale-watching.