Who are my Near Relatives? Quiz | Mixed Animal Trivia

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. The koala bear is so called because it has a somewhat bear-like appearance, but which animal is its closest relative?

Answer: Wombat

The wombat and the koala are the only surviving members of the Vombatiformes suborder. Both are members of the Diprotodontia order which also includes possums, kangaroos, wallabies and bettongs. Like the koala and the wombat, the alternative choices are all marsupials.

2. A kodkod may sound like something you'd expect to be served up with double chips. In fact, though, it probably does not like water much at all since it could easily be mistaken for a domestic cat. It is the smallest of all feline species native to the Americas, so which of these is its nearest relative?

Answer: Ocelot

The kodkod or guina is native to the southern Andes in Chile and Argentina. It usually has a spotted coat, something like a cheetah. Kodkod are typically only 15-20 inches long with short (8-10 inch) tails. Its closest relative is the ocelot (or dwarf leopard) which is common throughout South and Central American and can even be found as far north as Texas. An ocelot usually has leopard-like rosette markings.

3. The scientific name for a giraffe is Giraffa camelopardalis because of its humped, camel-like appearance and it's leopard like coat decoration. Which animal, though, is really its closest surviving relative?

Answer: Okapi

Although there have been as many as 18 species that were members of the Giraffa genus, the only two that survive today are the giraffe and the okapi. Native to the Congolese rainforests, the okapi has markings that suggest it should be related to the zebra rather than the giraffe.

4. The name hippopotamus means "river horse" but they are not that closely related to equines. What type of animal is their nearest relative?

Answer: Whales

There are only two extant species remaining in the Hippopotamidae family of naked-skinned animals with three-chambered stomachs: the so-called true hippo (genus Hippopotamus) and the pygmy hippo (genus Choeropsis). Although hippos look something like overgrown pigs, they are in fact members of the Whippomorpha infraorder, and the only other animals in that classification fall into the Cetacea order, which includes whales, dolphins, porpoises, etc.

5. Despite the name, the prairie dog is not particularly closely related to the domestic canine. What are its closest relatives?

Answer: Marmots

The five species of prairie dog (genus Cynomys) are all burrowing rodents native to North American grasslands. Their closest surviving relatives are the 15 species of marmot. Chipmunks are also closely related to both of these.

6. They are all types of snake, but with which of these does the cobra share a family connection?

Answer: Mamba

The numerous species of cobra are all part of the Elapidae family of venomous serpents that also includes mambas, adders, sea snakes, kraits, garter snakes, taipans and coral snakes. In all, there are 325 species of Elapid that have fixed, hollow fangs through which they eject venom. I just happened to choose mambas but any of those above could have been a correct answer.
Elapids are just one of fifteen families of snake that comprise the Alethinophidia infraorder, of which all of the alternatives are members.

7. How well do you know your antelopes? To which of these is the four species of oryx closely related?

Answer: Addax

Three of the species of oryx are native to Africa and the other can be found on the Arabian peninsula. The addax (also known as screwhorn antelope or white antelope) is a critically endangered species native to the Sahara region of North Africa. Along with bluebuck, sable antelope and roan antelope, these make up the Hippotraginae subfamily of bovines.

The others can all be found amongst the 140 species that comprise the cloven-hoofed, ruminant mammals with unbranching horns that comprise the Bovidae family.

8. The orca is also known as the killer whale, but is it really a whale at all? To which of these is it closely related?

Answer: Oceanic dolphins

The orca (Orcinus genus) and its close cousin the pygmy killer whale (Feresa genus) are both part of the Delphinidae family which also includes pilot whales and numerous oceanic dolphin species. Although all part of the Delphinoidea superfamily, the alternatives are each from quite distinct families.

9. At the next Olympic Games you'll be able to watch the new pool-based equestrian sport of seahorses racing. Okay, so I'm only kidding. Perhaps seahorses are a bit small to carry jockeys, so what are their closest relatives?

Answer: Pipefish

There are 54 species of seahorse in the genus Hippocampus (from the Greek for horse 'hippo' and sea monster 'kampos'). Seahorses are part of the Syngnathidae family that also includes the sea dragon (found off the coast of Australia) and hundreds of species of pipefish.

The name derives from the Greek meaning fused together 'syn' and jaws 'gnathus', but this is not the only common trait they share. In all species within this family, the females lay eggs and the male fertilizes then and carries them during incubation.

They also feed using 'elastic recoil' -- their heads rotate extremely quickly in order to accelerate their mouth towards their prey. Like seahorses, the alternatives are all members of the Acanthopterygii superfamily of spiny-finned fish.

10. Similar in shape to a pig with a short prehensile snout, the tapir is native to the jungles and forests of South America. Which is the strange-looking tapir's nearest relative, though?

Answer: Rhinoceros

Whilst that guy your sister brought to your last family gathering might have been a bit of a wild bore, the tapir is not that closely related to his homophone. The four extant species of tapir form a family of their own, but they share the Ceratomorpha suborder with only one other family: the one that includes the five species of rhinoceros.
These two families share the Perissodactyla order of odd-toed ungulates with the Hippomorpha suborder which includes horses, donkeys, wild asses and zebras. No pigs to be found here, I'm afraid.

Source: Author EnglishJedi

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor guitargoddess before going online.
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Who are my Near Relatives? Trivia Quiz

Many animals have rather misleading names such as 'bear' or 'dog' when they are really nothing of the sort. Can you identify the closest relatives of these animals?

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