Mammals Starting with "I" Trivia Quiz

Answer: Omnivorous

The Indian palm squirrel is native to parts of India and Sri Lanka. Accidental introduction of this animal into Western Australia has resulted in a large population boom. They are equally at home in the trees and on the ground. This is due to a plentitude of food and a lack of natural predators.

Although they mostly eat fruit and nuts, they will also dine on insects, small mammals, eggs and reptiles.

Answer: Mountains

Ibexes are a type of wild goat found in the mountains of Europe, Asia, and northern Africa. These are very sure-footed mammals who are known to inhabit high, rocky areas above the snowline. They have even been observed to climb trees to browse foliage as long as the lower branches are strong enough to hold their weight. Males are much larger than females and sport large semi-circular horns that arc backwards.

Answer: Japan

The Iriomote cat is one of the most endangered wild cats on the planet. Found only on Iriomote Island, Japan, there were believed to be approximately 100 of these small cats at the turn of the 21st century. They were first described to science in 1967 and were the subject of intense DNA studies.

They are mainly nocturnal and feed on small reptiles, insects, bats, rats and birds. The main threat to these cats is habitat loss and hybridization with feral domestic cats.

Answer: Stands and walks on two legs

The indri is one of the few animals that can walk upright on two legs. They hold both arms outright for balance and do a combination walk/skip while on the ground. The indri is one of the largest of the lemurs and is found only on the island of Madagascar.

They are born black and develop more white hair as they age. They are known for their loud calls which can be heard over a mile away. They are considered sacred to the Malagasy population who believe they are related to humans.

Answer: Getting caught in fishing nets

The biggest threat to the Irrawaddy dolphin is getting caught in fishing nets. At one time, this unique dolphin would help humans to fish by steering groups of fish towards fishermen's nets. The fisherman would then give the dolphin part of the catch.

They are usually found in fresh or brackish water, which causes some people to think they are a river dolphin, when they are actually an oceanic dolphin. They are found in the Irrawaddy, Ganges, and Mekong rivers. In Cambodia, these dolphins are an important part of the tourist economy.

They are also often seen in dolphinariums where they are trained to do tricks, just like other aquatic mammals at the various SeaWorld theme parks.

Answer: They only have one horn.

"Rhinoceros unicornis" which translates roughly into "one nose horn". Most other species of rhinoceros have two horns. They are herbivorous animals that forage for food around sunrise and sundown. During the heat of the day they are often seen wallowing in the mud or partially submerged in the water.

At the turn of the 21st century there were only about 2,000 of these animals in the wild. Their only predator is man, who hunts them for their horn which is used for medicinal purposes.

Answer: Impala

The Chevrolet Impala derives its name from the sleek African antelope. The impala is known for its amazing abilities to change direction while running, extreme leaping abilities, as well as its watchful personality. The males sport beautiful lyre-shaped horns which are used during mating battles.

The impala prefers to live near a water source, even though, if needed, they can survive on the moisture gotten from the green grass that makes up the majority of their diet.

Answer: They were bred to be gun dogs.

The highly-trainable Irish Setter is an outgoing, sweet-natured, and active dog. It is also called a red setter, which describes its feathered red coat which requires daily brushing. They love to play and need lots of exercise. The Irish setter is a wonderful family pet as it wants as much attention as it can get.

They are often seen walking from person to person in an attempt to get petted as much as it can.

Answer: False

Despite its name, the Irish elk lived in many regions of Europe, Asia and Northern Africa. It wasn't closely related to the modern elk or wapiti. It is thought to have gone extinct about 5,000 years ago and maybe even more recently than that. These were huge deer that sported immense antlers.

The reason for these tremendous antlers is a matter of scientific debate, as is the cause for their extinction. The Irish elk is depicted in the famous cave paintings at Lascaux, France. There is speculation that there is enough DNA harvested from the remains of these animals that they have become a possible candidate for an attempt at de-extinction efforts.

Answer: Pyrenees

The Iberian wolf is found in northern regions of Spain and Portugal. While they prefer forests and plains, they are occasionally seen in the lower levels of the Pyrenees Mountains. At one time, this beautiful wolf was found all over the Iberian peninsula, but because it would often kill livestock, bounties were offered in the 1960s for each wolf killed.

Their populations plummeted to under 500 and they were declared an endangered species. Wolf hunting is now banned in both countries and their numbers are increasing.

The Iberian wolf is very wary of humans, and actual sightings in the wild are rare.