You May Have Met My Tame Cousin Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. The term "jackal" is specifically applied to black-backed, side-striped, and golden jackals, which are found predominantly in Africa. However, the term "jackal" is often used for other members of the Canidae family. Which of the following is alternatively named the American jackal?

Answer: Coyote

The black-backed and side-striped jackals are more genetically and physiologically similar to one another than they are to the golden jackal. Also, the golden jackal can be found in south-central Eurasia and northern Africa, whereas the other two are found exclusively in sub-Saharan Africa. Unlike some other of the larger members of the Canidae family, jackals tend to live as solitary creatures or as monogamous pairs.

These pairs show little sexual dimorphism.

2. In the Serengeti, the Thompson's gazelle will be aware of the dangers of lions and cheetahs, but there will be few animals more dangerous than this member of the dog family. Which wild dog, alternatively known as the painted dog, was observed to succeed in 90% of its hunts, compared to only 30% for lions?

Answer: The African hunting dog

The African hunting dog has many alternative names, though "the painted dog" does well to describe the blotchy camouflage which characterises this animal. Often confused with the spotted hyena (which is not, in fact, a dog), the African hunting dog is typically around half the weight (though this still large for a canid).

These dogs hunt in packs and their stamina plays a large part in their hunting success. By comparison, lions and (especially) cheetahs depend on ambush techniques, usually giving up if an initial burst of speed fails to catch their prey.

3. One of the smallest wild dogs is the Arctic fox, which survives in the extreme cold climate in the Arctic Circle. Which animal, famous for its fluctuating populations, is a major part of the Arctic fox's diet?

Answer: Lemmings

The Arctic fox's fur is an extremely efficient insulator and there is a rich supply of blood to the feet of the fox, preventing them from freezing. Also, the vessels which carry blood *to* the appendages in the Arctic fox run close to (and in parallel to) the vessels carrying blood *from* the appendages, thus minimising the amount of heat lost from the blood in this cold climate.

The relationship between the populations of Arctic foxes and lemmings can be described using the Lotka-Volterra equation.

4. The mysterious bush dog can be found in South and Central America. What unusual adaptation do these dogs have, which comes in handy during hunting?

Answer: Webbed feet, assisting swimming

Bush dogs are social animals and regularly hunt in packs, allowing them to take down large prey, including large birds and peccaries. Small rodents are also hunted by bush dogs, and the chase often extends into water. The webbed feet of the bush dog is unusual in wild dogs, and this quality allows them to swim more easily when pursuing their prey.

5. When walking through a park in Japan it would not be uncommon to come across this canid, which is named for another animal to which it is not related. In Japanese folklore, this animal also has the reputation of a shape-shifter. Which wild dog is this?

Answer: The raccoon dog

The raccoon dog is native to much of south-east Asia, not just Japan, but the Japanese raccoon dog (a sub-species) has taken on a reputation as a strange and supernatural animal. Tanuki, as raccoon dogs are known in Japan, are ubiquitously represented in statue-form all over the country.

These statues are not very similar in appearance to the real raccoon dog, but are more bear-like. They are actually representations of Bake-danuki - a ghost like character based on the raccoon dog in Japanese folklore and literature.

6. The ancestor of all domestic dogs and one of the best-studied wild animals is the grey wolf. It is understood that the grey wolf has superior night vision compared to other members of the Canidae family, but which of the following best describes its sense of smell?

Answer: Comparatively poor

Wolves communicate with one another over long distances by their characteristic howl, and by a range of complex and subtle body postures when in close proximity. The domestication of the grey wolf began in the Middle East over 10,000 years ago, and the harsh selective pressures imposed by humans, either for work or companionship, has generated the huge range of breeds of domesticated dog which exist today. Selective pressure on domesticated dogs used for hunting or detecting narcotics helps to explain their superior sense of smell.

7. Despite its name, this animal is not closely related to any other canid, but instead belongs to its own unique genus called Chrysocyon. What is the name of this leggy animal, the tallest of all the wild canids?

Answer: The maned wolf

The maned wolf is called "wolf" and looks like a red fox on stilts, but it is not closely related to either of these canids. The maned wolf is the largest canid in South America and is the tallest wild canid in the world. While the grey wolf can be 85 cm tall at the shoulder, the maned wolf can measure up to 107 cm.

8. Dogs are a man's best friend, but one of its wild relatives has received attention for its anthropomorphic facial features. What is the name of this canid, which is found in the Tibetan plateau and which has been seen working with brown bears to get food?

Answer: The Tibetan sand fox

The inscrutable expression of the Tibetan sand fox has inspired a selection of memes and comparisons with human faces. The Tibetan sand fox is a graceful hunter found in Tibet, China, and some parts of India and Bhutan. It preys mainly on pikas, keeping their bodies low to the ground as they approach the pika's burrow.

The Tibetan fox has been shown to work with brown bears, which break into the pika's burrow and rely on the fox to catch the swift pikas as they flee.

9. A silver fox is more than just an attractive older man. They are one of the most widely distributed canids in the world. What is the relationship between the silver fox and the red fox?

Answer: They are simply colour variations of the same species

The red fox is the most widely distributed member of the true foxes (i.e. those belonging to the genus Vulpes) and this may be explained by its unfussy diet and ability to live alongside humans. The silver fox is described as a melanistic form of the red fox. This colour variation appears to have no effect on mating preference with either red or silver foxes.

10. Similar in appearance to the red fox, but larger in size is the culpeo. This canid commonly hunts rodents and lagomorphs, but has been known to take down larger prey such as sheep and guanacos. Where can the culpeo be found in the wild?

Answer: In the Andes

The culpeo lives only in South America. It is hunted for its fur and its natural predator is the puma. Despite sometimes intense hunting, the culpeo is classified as of "least concern". They are versatile hunters and with the decrease in livestock in their range they have turned to hunting guanaco and South Andean deer.

Source: Author doublemm

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor guitargoddess before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

This quiz looks at ten wild members of the Canidae family.

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