Natural Born Killers Trivia Quiz

Answer: Wasps

Parasitic wasps come in sizes that range from microscopic to about one inch long. In all cases the female selects a host, which can be a caterpillar, bee, spider, anything of that nature. She paralyses it by injecting poison and then lays her eggs inside the body of the chosen host. As the larvae mature they eat the body of the host. By the time they hatch the host is dead.

Parasitic wasps are not considered a pest, and in some places they are even being used as pest control. They can be bought commercially and introduced into an agricultural setting, or even into an area where a non native species is causing problems. They are a very effective natural method of pest control.

Answer: She kills and eats them

Peacock jumping spiders are native to Australia. They reach only about five millimetres in size. The males have a rear, coloured flap that they raise, similar to a peacock raising its tail, to impress the female. They also use their third pair of legs to create a mating dance.

The female is very fussy. Any who don't make the grade are killed and eaten immediately. Mind you, getting to mate with her is not as good as it sounds as once mating is over she also kills and eats the successful male.

Answer: Anaconda

Anacondas are native to South America. They can grow to a very large size, the largest that have been measured and verified are around twenty five feet long. For years there have been rumours of giant anacondas of over a hundred feet long. This has never been verified though, it remains just a rumour that is of great interest to cryptozoologists. Although there are verified boa constrictors longer than anacondas the anaconda is heavier and wider than any other snake.

The kill their prey by squeezing it to death, and then swallow it whole. Like other snakes their jaws will unhinge and open to allow them to swallow a whole animal head first. They are meat eaters and typical prey are deer, wild pigs, wild goats, fish and rodents. They have even been known to eat a jaguar. There have been rumours of man eating anacondas, but these are unverified.

Answer: Mosquito

The humble, annoying, buzzing mosquito bites and kills around one million people each and every year. It spreads malaria, dengue fever and yellow fever and of these malaria is the big killer. Mosquitos are also responsible for spreading various other diseases such as Ross River virus and Japanese encephalitis. They bite an infected animal, then bite a human and the virus is transmitted from the animal to a person.

When travelling in mosquito infected countries always carry a good repellent, sleep under a mosquito net and make sure you get appropriate vaccinations before you go.

Answer: Apex predators

Apex predators, also known as alpha predators, include lions, tigers, polar bear, electric eels and even driver ants. Sometimes it is not the size of the animal that matters. With driver ants it is the sheer number of them and the pain that multiple bites inflict that keep them safe from other animals.

An apex predator is vital to the health of an ecosystem. They keep down the numbers of other species and also remove the weakest and most vulnerable thus ensuring only the very best of the prey species breed. Introducing an apex predator into an area can change the ecosystem. When wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park and started to prey on elk it was noticed that previously over grazed areas started to grow again, making homes for other species to move in. They also benefited grizzly bears who were able to scavenge on wolf kills when they emerged from hibernation.

Answer: Asia

The Dhole is sometimes called the Indian hunting dog, although it is actually native to much of south and southeast Asia. It is classed as endangered due to loss of habitat and reduction in prey species. It lives in large groups which split up into smaller packs to hunt. Like the African hunting dog any pups in the clan will eat first when a kill is made. Dhole are quite fearless hunters, their prey includes wild boar, water buffalo and even tiger if either a vulnerable cub or a sick older cat is found.

Answer: Bull shark

Although these four species are responsible for the most recorded attacks on humans, they are not the only ones to be feared. The blue shark is very aggressive and has been responsible for human fatalities. However, the shark responsible for most human injuries and deaths is the great white.

They can grow up to sixteen feet long and weigh up to 2,400 pounds. They have no natural predator and anything that crosses their path is prey. Swimmers, surfers, windsailors and other water users are warned about their locations and encouraged to stay away.

Despite this every year there are great white attacks on humans. Not all of these are fatal, although most are.

Answer: Send out hunting parties

When Jane Goodall first reported chimpanzees hunting for meat it was dismissed as aberrant behaviour on the part of one troop. Since then however it has been observed in all closely followed chimpanzee troops. Colobus monkeys are a favourite source of meat, as are bush pigs and antelopes.

A hunting party of strong, dominant males will pick out and isolate the prey. In the case of a monkey it will be chased high into the tree tops, all escape routes cut off by the hunting party and one member will then go in for the kill.

The hunters will share part of the kill with other members of the group, and being given meat by a hunter is a mark of favour within the troop and either cements or increases social status.

Answer: Dragonfly

The beautiful dragonfly is one of the most successful predators in nature. Hunting from below and behind their prey they can make complicated calculations regarding the likely path of their target, and they succeed in their hunt 95% of the time. The ability to calculate trajectories also helps them avoid becoming food for something else, as does the ability to fly backwards. If, for example, a frog is after them, they can work out where it will strike, and rather than having to fly forward and hope to be quick enough to evade capture, they just fly backwards out of danger.

Answer: Sea wasp box jellyfish

The sea wasp can reach up to around four pounds in weight and the tentacles can each grow up to ten feet long. If you are stung only slightly then the pain has been described as "beyond belief". In fact lifeguards have said that cutting off the affected limb would hurt less. If a person becomes entangled in the tentacles then the venom takes about three minutes to stop your heart.

They hunt for shrimp, minnows and small fish, humans are not one of their food choices. Unfortunately though every year some swimmers come into contact with them and the swimmers always come off worst.

Despite this there are only around sixty three known deaths attributed to them since 1900, most of these off the coast of Australia.