Rodentia Prodigiosus Trivia Quiz

Answer: Field mouse

Like many rodents, mice are known for their high breeding rate. Female mice can begin breeding at 50 days old, their gestation period is a mere 20 days, and the average litter is 10-12 pups. As you can imagine, a mouse population gone unchecked will quickly become very large.

Hide the cheese.

In North America, what people think of as field mice are actually voles.

Laboratory mice, interestingly, are a true separate species of mouse that has been bred specifically for scientific research.

Answer: Chinchilla

Chinchillas have such nice, soft fur that they have been hunted in the wild nearly to the point of extinction. In fact, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species has the species listed as critically endangered. There are still chinchillas to be found in the wild, but their numbers are one tenth of what they once were.

The name 'chinchilla' comes from the Chincha people of the region. As a tribal group, they no longer exist, having been overrun by the Incas.

Answer: Porcupine

Porcupine comes from the Middle French words 'porc' (pig) and 'espin' (spined). The various species of porcupine have a wide range of habitat, including both North and South America, Europe, Africa, and Southern Asia.

A porcupine's quills are, in my opinion, one of the most interesting things to be found on mammals. They make a great defensive weapon, discouraging predators, and grow back when they come off. It has long been proven that porcupines cannot actually throw their quills.

Answer: False

There are actually two species of squirrel that include the colour 'red' in its name. Pictured here is the Eurasian red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris), common throughout Europe and Asia (hence the name 'Eurasian). But there is also an American red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) that is not quite as red as its Old World cousins.

(North) American red squirrels are also known as pine squirrels, chickarees, and fairydiddles.

Answer: Prairie dogs

Prairie dogs are highly social animals that make extensive burrow systems called 'towns'. These colonies can extend for hundreds of acres.

The five species of prairie dog are Gunnison's prairie dog (Cynomys gunnisoni), white-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys leucurus), black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus), Mexican prairie dog (Cynomys mexicanus), and Utah prairie dog (Cynomys parvidens).

Answer: Hamster

As mentioned in the question, most hamsters that are sold as pets are Syrian (or golden) hamsters, although various species of dwarf hamster are also moderately popular. One thing to remember about hamsters is that they are not very sociable. Hamsters can become very stressed or even attack other hamsters when they are housed together.

This can even extend to mating partners (depending on the species), where the female may attack the male if they are kept together too long after mating.

Answer: True

The fur trade was instrumental in the exploration and development of Canada. Demand for beaver pelts in particular was high, largely due to the fashions of the day in Europe. In 1621, the first North American coat of arms depicting a beaver was granted to Sir William Alexander. The Hudson's Bay Company placed a beaver on its coat of arms in 1678, and around the same time a coin was minted (called a 'buck') that was worth one beaver pelt.

The North American beaver's binomial name is, appropriately, Castor canadensis.

Answer: Gerbils

Gerbils were first brought to Europe in the 19th century, becoming a popular house pet of the day, but they did not find their way to North America until the mid 1950s (for scientific research). It was not until the mid 1960s that gerbils entered the pet industry.

Gerbils are sociable creatures, getting along well with other gerbils and with humans. If you want one as a pet, though, it is best to have a terrarium for them; allowing them to make their own burrows, rather than having a cage.

Answer: Chipmunk

Chipmunks are important contributors to forest ecosystems. They do this primarily through the dispersal of seeds and fungus spores. While all species of chipmunks hoard seeds and nuts for the winter, not all species hibernate.

With the exception on one species; the Siberian chipmunk, all chipmunks are found in North America.

Answer: Capybara

Capybaras can grow to as large as 66 kilograms (146 lbs), ranking them ahead of the second-place beaver on the list of largest rodents in the world. They can be found throughout South America (east of the Andes) and, depending on the region, are a popular source for meat and hides. In Venezuela, Capybaras are eaten as part of the traditional Easter meal.