Three Syllable Mammals Trivia Quiz

Answer: White tiger

The beautiful Serengeti and Masai Mara provided Disney with the inspiration for the blockbuster animated movie, "The Lion King". This land is home to the 'Big Five' animals of Africa which are considered to be the Cape buffalo, the African lion, the African elephant, the African leopard, and the rhinoceros. I always thought it sad that they didn't extend the list to the 'Big Six' to incorporate the fleet-footed cheetah. Of course no safari would be complete without also seeing the zebra, giraffe or many breeds of antelope.

Answer: Platypus

Marsupials are the animals that like to carry their young around in a pouch. A remarkable 70%+ of the 334 marsupial species live in Australia or on nearby islands. In North America there is only one marsupial and that is the cute Virginia opossum. The more well known marsupials include kangaroos, wombats, koalas, numbats, bandicoots and Tasmanian devils.

Answer: Manatee

The manatee is a super cool looking mammal complete with whiskers, a paddle-shaped tail and a prehensile upper lip. Manatees are also called sea cows because they enjoy grazing on freshwater and saltwater flora. The manatees prefer shallow water and are a popular tourist attraction in southern Florida.

Answer: Siamese

Many children will recognize the Siamese cats from Disney's "Lady and the Tramp." Old Aunt Sarah owns two cats called Si and Am and they sing the "We are Siamese" song. The Siamese cat is a beautiful animal descended from a long breeding line of cats native to Siam (modern-day Thailand). Usually this cat has bright blue eyes, a creamy colored coat, pointy ears and dark markings at the extremities.

Answer: Alsatian

The German shepherd or Alsatian is a majestic breed of dog and a popular companion for many police forces across the globe. A highly intelligent animal, the Alsatian is noted for its extreme loyalty and trainability. The German shepherd dog is in the herding category and is a working breed.

In terms of age, it is a relatively modern breed with the first reported animals being dated back to 1899.

Answer: Hyena

The hyena is the scavenger of the savannah. It is the 5th smallest Carnivora group with only four different extant species. Many people believe the hyena to be exclusively a scavenger but research suggests that the hyena catches 90-95% of what they themselves consume. Hyenas are more closely related to cats than dogs, but are not a member of the cat family. Catamount is another name for the puma or American mountain lion.

This mammal has an extraordinarily large range in the Americas. The jaguar is also an animal in the Americas and is the largest cat in the western hemisphere. Finally, the caracal is also known as the desert lynx and resides in Africa and parts of Asia.

Answer: Gorilla

Indeed all four of these mammals are to be found in kingdom -- Animalia, phylum -- Chordata, class -- Mammalia, and order -- Primates, just like grandma. However, the impressive gorilla is also to be found in the family -- hominidae just like grandmamma and grandpapa. Gorillas are ground-dwelling herbivores that live in the forest areas of Central Africa.

Answer: Buffalo

The buffalo or American bison is actually a mammal in the family Bovidae. A shaggy, imposing, horned beast, the buffalo is a protected species across much of the western United States. Coming face-to-face with a snorting buffalo while snowmobiling in Yellowstone National Park is an exhilarating experience.

The alpaca and vicuna are part of the same family as the llama and frequent the mountain steppes of South America. Amazingly, the camel is a relative of the South American beasts of burden. The Bactrian camel has two humps and its cousin the Dromedary has one.

Answer: Teledu

The teledu or skunk badger is a mammal native to Indonesia and some parts of Malaysia. The teledu is also known as the stink badger and has an anal scent gland it is not shy to use. The teledu is found within the Mephitidae family which also includes the American skunk. The guinea pig, jerboa, and prairie dog are indeed all cute little rat-like creatures.

Answer: Wapiti

A million bonus points if you knew that the alternative name for the American elk is the wapiti. The wapiti is one of the largest representatives of the deer family. The only other large deer to rival the elk in size is the sambar from Asia. The wapiti is a ruminant ungulate and has a four-chambered stomach. Lunch for this regal animal usually consists of leaves, grass, and bark.

The moose in North America and the elk in Eurasia are classified by the name Alces alces. Just to confuse people more, what Americans call elk or the wapiti (Cervus canadensis) is a completely different animal to the Eurasian elk.