Mixed Marsupials Trivia Quiz

Answer: Tasmanian devil

When Europeans arrived in Australia, explorers and scientists were confused by the Tasmanian devil, which resulted in the animal receiving a lot of different names. Some thought it was a bear. Others thought it was a dog. Although how it began to be called a devil is unknown, it could be because of the vicious way it eats meat or its shrieking call. Tarrabah is an Aborigine word for the animal.

Other names include Satantic meatlover and bear devil.

Answer: Bandicoot

Bandicoots are Australian marsupials that tend to live around domesticated animals like cows and sheep. The can pass their ticks onto those animals who can then pass it on to humans. Q Fever is very treatable with antibiotics but can be troublesome for pregnant women. Typically Q Fever causes mild pneumonia or breathing problems.

However, severe Q Fever can cause hepatitis and endocarditis, swelling of the heart lining.

Answer: Eucalyptus leaves have a high water content

A koala's diet consists mostly of eucalyptus leaves, which are mostly water. That coupled with the fact that they are awake only for four hours a day and exert little (but not no) energy, means they do not need to drink water often. Male koalas need more water than females, since male koalas tend to fight and exert more energy. Koalas also have a lot of fatty deposits that store water when needed.

Answer: It does not have fully functioning eyes

The southern (and northern) marsupial mole spends most of its time burrowing underground and in the dark, thus it has no need for fully functioning eyes. Like most moles, its head is essentially an extension of its body without a true neck. It is endemic to southern Australia, not New Zealand.

Answer: Diprotodon

The diprotodon was the largest marsupial ever known to have lived. It was roughly the size of a hippo. It probably looked something like a dinosaur. Its name means two forward teeth. Ancient Aboriginal cave paintings appear to show something that may be a diprotodon. Its size and habit of living in or near water gave rise to the bunyip myth.

The Bunyip is a mythological creature said to lurk in the Australian waterways. Its descriptions vary widely but it is sometimes said to look like a mishmash of various animals including a large cat, walrus or horse and have flippers and/or legs.

Answer: Cane toad

Quolls have a rather unusual diet for mammals. They eat insects, small mammals, reptiles and amphibians.

Cane toads were introduced into Australia in the 1930s as a means of destroying beetles that were eating the sugar crop. Cane toads can reproduce quickly and in the decades since, have grown exponentially in both population and distribution. Quolls, which eat frogs and toads, sometimes eat cane toads, which have poisonous barbs covering their bodies. A quoll that eats a cane toad has a percentage of dying as a result.

Answer: True

Playing possum refers to how possums pretend to be dead when they are threatened. This is not done on purpose but rather involuntarily, similar to fainting. A possum can play dead for up to four hours. During this time, the possum's teeth and tail retract, the body stiffens and may start to smell.

Answer: Only male kangaroos box

Most often male kangaroos are involved in the fight since the fights tend to break out over female kangaroos. However, female kangaroos will also box over watering holes. Large male kangaroos tend not to box since they can attract a female kangaroos with less problems than a smaller male. Smaller males tend to box over female kangaroos because they have more trouble finding a desirable mate, often losing out to larger males. There have been observed instances of a small male challenging a large male to a fight, only to see the invitation declined.

The fights begin when one kangaroo grabs the other by the neck. Fighting usually consists of pawing more than using closed fists. When a kangaroo is losing, he or she will begin to try to kick the other in the abdomen as an attempt to quickly knock the other down.

Answer: Numbat

The numbat is a marsupial that lives, like most, in Australia in colonies. The numbat's numbers had been declining steadily for decades until the 1980s saw a successful increase in the population, mainly due to zoos and conservation efforts. Many of its closest relatives are extinct.

Female numbats do not have a pouch that holds the offspring. Instead, the mother numbat inflames her abdomen and holds her children in her fur.

Answer: Quokka

Quokkas are small little mammals and looks similar to a large chipmunk or a small groundhog. They are known for being friendly towards humans and for being part of a social media sensation called #quokkaselfie. Quokkas will often appear to be smiling and people on Rottnest Island near Perth frequently take selfies with the quokkas.

The quokkas are so popular that there are laws protecting them from being fed human food. Human food can be highly toxic toward the quokka and feeding them is punishable by a $300 fine and repeat offenses are considered animal cruelty and can result in jail time.