Ralph's Great Escape Trivia Quiz

Answer: They have an elongated wrist bone, which acts as a thumb

The radial sesamoid bone which protrudes out, resembling a thumb, is not mobile, but is very effective in holding and handling bamboo. This striking feature has been used by some to argue in favour of the theory of evolution, as it is a prime example of natural selection.

Moreover, the jaw muscles of the panda are very strong, allowing bamboo shoots to be crushed, though the digestive system of the panda is more similar to that of a carnivore and so is very inefficient.

Answer: Ride on her tail

This behaviour has been likened to a piggy-back and will continue until the young is about three months old. When about five months old, the young tree pangolin will leave its mother and go off to live its solitary life, only meeting with others to breed.

The tail of the tree pangolin is long, mobile, and covered in hard plates. The first two qualities help it to climb trees and grasp branches.

Answer: A horn

Though giraffes possess all of the above features, ossicones are the horns which are found on the tops of the heads of both cow and bull giraffes. They are hard (made from ossified cartilage) and may be used in territorial and mating disputes, so those possessed by males are predictably larger.

Answer: The shingleback

The shingleback (or shingleback skink) is found in Australia and its unhurried way of life has led to locals nicknaming it "the sleepy lizard." These lizards are unusual in that they tend to be monogamous, remaining in a breeding pair with the same partner for up to twenty years.

Some may find it difficult at a glance to tell which end of the shingleback is which, as the tail is short, bulbous, and similar in form to its head.

Answer: The young will tear off the mother's layer of fatty skin

Despite living in several parts of the world, caecilians remain the most mysterious order of amphibians, perhaps due to their living underground.

In some species of this elongated amphibian, the mother is known to grow a new layer of fatty skin every three days. The young will feed on this skin, tearing off shreds with their small, sharp teeth. This is a fairly recent discovery, and scientists had been previously baffled by the presence of teeth in young caecilians, which they believed to feed exclusively on a liquid secretion from the mother's rear.

Answer: The fossa

The fossa has a cat-like appearance, though it is actually more closely related to the mongoose. They are found on the island of Madagascar and are naturally gifted tree-dwellers. As well as their flexible ankles, their long tails help maintain balance, their sharp claws help prevent falls, and their strong legs allow for large jumps between branches.

Answer: The velvet worm

Velvet worms possess several pairs of short legs and are able to fire a sticky, glue-like substance from the front pair. This "glue" hardens quickly and serves to trap large prey, usually crickets, which the velvet worm hunts at night. This animal has poor eyesight and so will fire the sticky liquid only after its antennae make contact with its prey.

Answer: The painted bunting

The painted bunting is part of the Cardinal family and males of the species display just about every colour of the rainbow, whereas the females tend to be olive-green. These impressive birds can be found in several southern states of the USA.

Answer: It smells terrible

An inhabitant of Southeast Asia, the slow loris is known to cover its young with saliva, as well as a terrible-smelling toxin secreted by a gland in its arm. This acts as a deterrent to predators.

Answer: A king cobra

Many animals have evolved the ability to detect UV light for various reasons. The honeybee (Tom, if you were wondering) can see UV light and so is able to see flowers more easily. The jumping spider (Dick) uses UV light during courtship rituals - he will reflect UV light from specially adapted scales in order to attract a female. Harry, the common kestrel, can also detect UV light, which is reflected from the urine of its prey (usually small rodents), making them easier for this bird to track down food.