Marvelous Mountain Mammals Trivia Quiz

Answer: short tail

Also known by the Russian name of irbis, the snow leopard (Panthera uncia) is found in the mountain ranges of South and Central Asia. As the photo shows, the snow leopard's tail is long and thicker than usual: this helps the animal's balance when moving on rocky terrain, and is also a means of storing fat (a necessity in the harsh winters of those regions). Like all mammals that live in cold environments, the snow leopard has small, rounded ears to minimize heat loss; it also has broad paws to walk safely on snow, and thicker and paler-coloured fur than the fur of felines from warmer climates.

The snow leopard is also smaller and more compact than other big cats. Very rarely aggressive towards humans, though potentially dangerous to livestock, this magnificent creature is used as a heraldic symbol by several Central Asian countries, and is also one of Pakistan's national animals.

Answer: kiang

The kiang (Equus kiang) is a denizen of the montane grasslands and steppes of the Tibetan Plateau, the world's highest. Its body is adapted to its environment: its beautiful reddish-brown coat, characterized by a dark brown dorsal stripe, becomes thicker and darker in winter; the legs and underparts are white. Three subspecies of kiang are currently recognized (the one shown in the photo is a specimen of eastern kiang, the largest subspecies). Kiangs are found in open terrain, at elevations between 2,700 and 5,300 m (8,900 - 17,400 ft), where they can find enough grass and other plants to eat. Maybe on account of its unusually large head and distinctive colouring, the kiang has been identified as a possible source for the unicorn described in medieval travellers' tales.

The kodkod is a small wild cat, and the kinkajou a relative of the raccoon. The kakapo, however, is not a mammal but a bird - the world's heaviest parrot.

Answer: rabbit

The pika (from a word in the Tungus language of Eastern Siberia) belongs to the family Otochonidae of the order Lagomorpha, which also includes the Leporidae (rabbits and hares). There are about 30 species in the genus Otochona (from "ogdoi", the Mongolian name for the animal), most of them found in various mountain regions of Eastern Europe and Asia; two species live in the western mountain ranges of the US and Canada. As the photo shows, pikas resemble rabbits, but have the short, rounded ears typical of mammals that live in cold climates. Pikas dwell in rocky crevices or burrows, where they keep stores of food for the winter months; they also use a wide range of calls to communicate with each other.

Squirrels belong to the order Rodentia, and hedgehogs to the order Eulipothypla (like shrews and moles); meerkats (like mongooses) are carnivores of the family Herpestidae.

Answer: Michigan

A stocky, powerful animal with the look of a miniature bear, the wolverine (Gulo gulo) is the largest land-dwelling member of the family Mustelidae (which includes weasels, badgers and otters). Also known as glutton (a literal translation of its scientific name), carcajou, and skunk bear (the latter because of the pungent odour produced by its anal scent glands), it has the reputation of a ferocious predator, capable of killing much larger prey, such as deer and cattle. However, the wolverine is primarily a scavenger, often feeding on prey left by other predators, especially wolves. Wolverines are found in the northern regions of Eurasia and North America (mainly Canada and Alaska). Though very rarely spotted there, this carnivore has given its name to the US Midwestern state of Michigan, and is one of its state animals.

None of the states mentioned as incorrect choices are considered part of the US Midwest.

Answer: Italy

Endemic to a restricted area of the central Apennines, the Marsican brown bear is considered by some a population of the Eurasian brown bear (Ursus arctos arctos), and by others a subspecies of it (Ursus arctos marsicanus). In 2015, between 55 and 85 bears were estimated to live in Marsica, a historical and geographical region partly located within the Abruzzo National Park, in central Italy. Marsican brown bears are even-tempered and not aggressive towards humans; the males tend to be considerably larger than the females, though as a whole these bears are smaller and leaner than other Eurasian brown bears. Marsican brown bears are omnivorous, and rarely eat meat: unfortunately, they were long believed to prey on livestock, and often killed because of that. These rare but iconic animals are protected by the Italian government, and in recent years conservation efforts have proved moderately successful.

Unrelated populations of Eurasian brown bears dwell in the northeastern Italian regions of Trentino-Alto Adige and Friuli Venezia-Giulia, in the Eastern Alps. All the three countries listed as incorrect choices are also home to brown bears.

Answer: Andes

All species of ibex (genus Capra) live in Africa and Eurasia. The best-known of them is the Alpine ibex (Capra ibex), which - as its name suggests - lives in the rocky regions of the Alps, at elevations of up to 3,300 m (10,800 ft). Though both sexes have horns, those of the males are considerably larger - over 1 m (39 in) in length, curved backwards and heavily ridged. Other ibex species dwell in the rugged mountain areas of the Middle East, North Africa and Ethiopia (Nubian and Walia ibex), the Iberian Peninsula (Spanish ibex), Central Asia (Siberian ibex), and the Caucasus (Caucasian ibex or tur).

The Alpine ibex, called "Steinbock" (stone goat) in German, is frequently used as an emblem in various parts of the Alpine range. It appears on the coat of arms of the Swiss canton of Grisons (Graubünden), were the world-famous resorts of St. Moritz and Davos are located.

Answer: gelada

Also known as the "bleeding-heart monkey" because of the red patch of skin on its chest (clearly visible in the photo), the gelada (Theropitecus gelada) was thought to be a baboon (genus Papio), but is now considered part of a genus of its own. Physically geladas are very similar to baboons, with robust bodies, black arms and feet, and hairless faces; like baboons, they exhibit strong sexual dimorphism, with males being considerably larger and hairier than females. Geladas are only found in the Ethiopian highlands, especially in the Semien Mountains of northern Ethiopia, at elevations of up to 4,400 m (14,400 ft). Their diet, unique to this species, consists almost exclusively of grasses and other herbs, which they chew almost like ungulates. These fascinating primates live in complex societies made up of different groups and units. In the past, geladas were hunted for the luxurious, cape-like fur of adult males, which thankfully seems to have gone out of fashion.

All the remaining options are mammals, also found in Africa: the gerbil is a rodent, the gemsbok a kind of antelope, and the genet a carnivore of the genus Viverridae.

Answer: Siberia

Though a native of North America, the iconic bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) originally came from Siberia through the Bering Land Bridge during the Ice Age. A close relative, the snow sheep (Ovis nivicola), lives in the mountain areas of northeastern Siberia. Bighorn sheep are found as far south as the Baja California peninsula, though the largest population (and the largest specimens as well) dwells on the slopes of the Rocky Mountains.

As the photo shows, rams sport the large, curved horns (which can weigh as much as 14 kg/30 lb.) that give the species its common name; ewes have smaller horns. Bighorn sheep live in large herds; their population sharply declined between 1870 and 1950, due not only to hunting and habitat destruction, but also to various infectious diseases.

A number of restoration campaigns conducted in the past 70 years or so have proved only moderately successful. Admired and respected by Native Americans, the bighorn sheep is the state animal of Colorado, and the provincial animal of Alberta.

Answer: wool

Closely related to the alpaca (whose ancestor it is thought to be), the guanaco and the llama, the vicuña (Vicugna vicugna) is a native of the Andean region, and the smallest extant member of the Camelidae family. This slender, shy creature lives at very high elevations (up to 4,800 m/15,700 ft), where it needs the protection afforded by its thick but remarkably soft coat, tawny-brown on the back and white on the underside. The wool produced by the vicuña, used both for clothing and home furnishings, is extremely expensive, as the animals need to be caught first, and can only be shorn every three years. This fiber is very fine, soft and warm; items of clothing made of vicuña wool can cost thousands of dollars.

Vicuñas were treated with deep respect by the Incas, and only royalty could wear clothing made with their wool. They are now protected by various conservation programs, though poaching remains a concern. A vicuña appears in the top left section of the Peruvian coat of arms.

Answer: horse

Though they might look more like pigs, tapirs (family Tapiridae) belong to the order Perissodactyla, the odd-toed ungulates, like horses and rhinoceroses. The mountain, or Andean, tapir (Tapirus pinchaque) is the only species of tapir that does not inhabit tropical rainforests, but is rather found in cloud forests and alpine tundra (páramo) in the eastern and central Cordilleras of northwestern South America (Colombia, Ecuador and Peru), at elevations between 2,000 and 4,000 m (6,600 0 14,100 ft).

These habitats provide the mountain tapir with many different plant species to feed on. Mountain tapirs are characterized by their thick, woolly coat (an essential feature in a mountain environment) and white lips. Unfortunately, these animals are vulnerable to human activities such as hunting and deforestation; they are classified as Endangered by IUCN (2014), with about 2,500 specimens remaining in the wild.