Things Less Than Fluffy Trivia Quiz

Answer: Draco lizard

Known by reptile affectionados as "flying dragons," draco lizards are native to Southeast Asia. The lizards are almost entirely arboreal, with only the females voyaging to the earth to lay a small clutch of eggs. The female creates a burrow by thrusting her head into the ground.

After she deposits the eggs into the void, she will guard the burrow for up to 48 hours before leaving her future young to fend for themselves. There are approximately 40 different varieties of draco lizards, all with their own unique color patterns.

Answer: Horny toad

The horny toad, also known as the horned lizard, is a species native to Central and North America. The creature does resemble a toad with a wide, flat body covered in rough bumps. Unlike a toad, it has a tail and is a reptile. There are about a dozen different varieties of horny toads.

Their numbers are currently in decline due to the continued onslaught and extermination on their favorite food, ants.

Answer: Galapagos tortoise

Genetic markers from Galapagos tortoise indicate that the species is related to the South American tortoise. Genetic research indicates a sole, pregnant specimen or breeding pair landed on the Galapagos Islands and spawned a variety of subspecies. Currently, there are ten different varieties of Galapagos turtles spread among the islands.

Answer: Eastern newt

Eastern newts begin as most amphibians, hatching from egg to tadpole stage with gills. The gills are shed and the newt moves into the distinctive orange juvenile stage, often called a "red eft", as a terrestrial creature. The newt returns to the water after a few years, maturing into its aquatic adult form, changing its hue to an olive green (but keeping the red spots) and the tail becomes thicker and more fin-like.

As with many brightly colored amphibians, this newt secretes a toxin that helps protect it from predators.

Answer: Alligator snapping turtle

Alligator snapping turtles can grow to be quite large. It is not unusual to have an adult reaching several hundred pounds. This turtle is largely carnivorous, luring prey into its mouth with the use of a worm-like tongue. It actually wiggles the tongue, attracting small fish toward a free meal until it is too late and the mouth snaps shut.

The turtle's bite is quite powerful, known to be able to snap a broom stick in two.

Answer: Argentine horned frog

The Argentine horned frog, also known as a Ceratophrys, is native to South and Central America. Hardy creatures, these frogs make great pets comfortable living in a 10-gallon aquarium. Easy-to-feed, the frog will eat everything from insects to mice to other frogs, aided by bony protrusions in the mouth. Due to these protrusions and the frog's attempt to eat things larger than it is, death by the food it "tried" to eat sometimes occurs.

Answer: Green anaconda

Native to South America, the green anaconda is the stuff of legends. Long depicted as a man eater, the anaconda isn't known to have attacked or eaten a human. As the world's heaviest snake, and one of the longest snakes in the world, it is understandable that accounts of anaconda attacks would be fictionalized. Hunting from the water where it moves its bulk with ease, the anaconda mostly feeds on anything it can catch and constrict easily; sometimes this includes other anacondas.

Answer: Chameleon

Chameleons have a fairly diverse range of habitat, primarily encompassing Africa and Asia, but including parts of Europe. Some species have been introduced to the temperate portions of the United States, including Hawaii and Florida. The chameleon's color changing ability is widely recognized, however their color changing abilities are far more limited than most people realize. Typically the reptile will change into various shades of green or brown, although a few varities can change into a wide range of colors including pink, blue and yellow.

Answer: Five-lined skink

The five-lined skink, often called the blue-tailed skink, is native to a large portion of eastern North America, from Florida all the way north to lower Canada. The bright blue tail is evident on juvenile skinks, but as the reptile ages, the blue fades and the body fades to a more muted brown. Unlike many other varities of lizards, skink females protect their egg clutch, turning eggs, protecting and incubating them, and destroying bad eggs.

Answer: Poison dart frog

Native to South and Central America, the poison dart frog is a small amphibian normally found in tropical rainforests. The frog's neurotoxins were long used by native peoples to dip arrowheads and dart tips for hunting and battle. The particular toxins contained within the frogs result in convulsions, heart failure, and/or death if consumed.