Really Bad Eggs Trivia Quiz

Answer: Saltwater crocodile

The saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus), sometimes known as the estuarine or Indo-Pacific crocodile, has been known to grow to 7m (23 feet) in length and may weigh up to 1300 kg (3000 lbs). Nests are created during the wet season between November and March and the female will lay forty to sixty eggs at a time. Of these eggs, roughly 80% will actually hatch, and only 1% of the hatchlings are expected to survive to maturity.

The freshwater crocodile (Crocodylus johnsoni) can reach up to 4m in length and is found in northern Australia. The Komodo dragon is the largest lizard in the world.

Answer: Piranha

Piranhas (Family Characidae, Order Characiformes) are a freshwater fish well known for their sharp teeth. In the wild, they can be found in the Amazonian Basin, in the rivers of the Guyanas, and the Paraguay-Parana and San Francisco River systems. They have also been found as far away as Bangladesh, thought to have been transported and released by rogue traders. Piranhas are also becoming popular as an aquarium fish.

Theodore Roosevelt described the piranha as "the most ferocious fish in the world" in his book "Through the Brazilian Wilderness" (published in 1914). The image of piranhas having such a voracious appetite as to reduce a large animal or human to a skeleton in a matter of minutes is thought to have originated during Roosevelt's hunting trip of Brazil. The locals blocked part of an Amazonian tributary with nets and then loaded in a hoard of starving piranhas. When a cow was thrown in, it sparked a feeding frenzy by the piranhas which took only minutes to turn the cow into a carcass.

Answer: Banana spider

The Brazilian wandering spider, so named because it was first discovered in Brazil, is a member of the genus of Phoneutria (Family Ctenidae) and can be found in Central and South America. Growing to have a leg span of up to 5 inches, this nocturnal spider tends to hide in plants and termite mounds during the day. The wandering spider has been found as far away as England, after hitching a ride in a bunch of bananas. They sometimes stray into houses where they have occasionally been found hiding among clothes.

A carnivorous spider, its diet consists mainly of insects, but they have been known to consume small lizards and mice. They are a highly defensive spider, using its long legs to escape quickly if threatened and displaying distinctive red jaws when angry.

Answer: Eastern brown snake

The Eastern brown snake (Pseudonaja textilis) is the second most venomous land snake behind the inland taipan but is more aggressive and more likely to attack a human. While also a native of Papua New Guinea and Indonesia, they are very common in populated areas along Australia's east coast. Active during the day, the eastern brown is notorious for its speed and aggression when provoked although it usually prefers to retreat rather than attack. Females produce a clutch of 10 to 40 eggs in late spring or early summer, but then leave the juveniles to fend for themselves once they hatch.

Answer: Blue-ringed octopus

The blue-ringed octopus (genus Hapalochlaena) can be found in the waters from Japan to Australia, although they are most prevalent around New South Wales and South Australia. They normally feed on small crabs and shrimp, but may attack and bite humans if provoked. Their body is covered in brown spots and when the octopus feels threatened, these spots darken and iridescent blue rings appear inside the macula.

Their venom contains a neurotoxin more potent than cyanide, and it causes rapid muscle paralysis and respiratory arrest. Despite having no anti-venom available, victims can survive if they are given immediate artificial respiration. The female of the species lays only one clutch of eggs in her lifetime and the eggs are incubated under her arms for six months. During the incubation period the female is unable to eat and dies when the eggs hatch.

Answer: Cone shell

Cone shells or cone snails, (family Conidae, genus conus) are predatory sea snails with colourfully patterned, conical shells. Of all the cone shells, the Conus geographus is the most dangerous to humans and has been responsible for over thirty deaths.

It grows to a length of four to six inches and its shell is intricately patterned in brown and white. The barb on these cones is capable of penetrating gloves and wetsuits, and there is no known anti-venom for their sting. Treatment is supportive until the venom wears off.

Despite being highly toxic, one of the compounds in their venom is a potent pain reliever, 1000 times stronger than morphine and without the side effects of the traditional analgesic.

Answer: Mosquito

Mosquitoes belong to the Culicidae family of midge-like flies and while the female of the species sucks blood from livestock and humans alike, members of the Chironomidae and Tipulidae do not. All mosquitoes feed on nectar and plant juices, but the females also need the lipids and proteins obtained from a blood meal in order to form eggs.

While adult mosquitoes generally only survive for a week or two in the wild, they are vectors for diseases like malaria, yellow fever and dengue fever. The disease is transferred to the host through the saliva of the mosquito, which has a powerful anticoagulant that stops the blood from clotting.

The mosquito from the genus Toxorhynchites does not suck blood; instead it preys on the larvae of other mosquitoes and has, in the past, been used as a form of mosquito control, unfortunately not always successfully.

Answer: Africanized honey bee

Colloquially known as killer bees, the Africanized honey bee was a hybrid race crossbred from the western honey bee species (Apis mellifera), the African honey bee (A. m. Scutellata), and several European species such as the Italian bee (A. m. ligustica) and the Iberian bee (A. m. iberiensis).

The Africanized honey bees swarm more readily and defend their hives more aggressively than other honey bees. They take over other hives by killing the queen bee and instating their own. Despite the problems associated with the bee, apiarists are often forced by economic need to switch to the killer bee as they are far more productive than their traditional counterparts. The queen bees are now being crossbred again to reduce the aggressive behavior and these queens produce worker bees that are much more manageable and equally as productive.

If you are stung by an Africanized honey bee, you will find yourself fighting off the entire swarm. This is because the bee releases a pheromone which signals the other bees to attack, much like the fire ant (genus Solenopsis). While one or two people per year in the United States may be killed by these bees, public fear has been magnified by movies such as "The Swarm" (1978).

Answer: Human botfly

The human botfly (Dermatobia hominis) is native to the Americas, from Mexico to Chile and Argentina. The botfly's eggs are vectored by several species of mosquito and even the occasional tick. The fly attaches its eggs inside the mosquito where it is transferred to a human or other animal through the bite. Once there, the eggs hatch and the larvae develop in the subcutaneous tissue for eight weeks when they drop out and pupate in the soil.

Answer: Stonefish

Synanceia, stonefishes of the Family Synanceiidae, are the most venomous fish known and have caused fatalities among humans. They are generally marine creatures although some have been found in rivers. They camouflage themselves with a mottled grey colour so that they resembles a rock, hence its common name.

The stonefishes have thirteen needle-like spines on their dorsal fins which stand up when the fish is threatened. Most people stand on the fish and the venom is injected into the foot. The amount of venom injected is proportional to the amount of pressure applied when standing on the fish.

A large enough dose of the toxin is capable of killing a person in a matter of hours.