Fractured Bird and Animal ABCs Quiz

Answer: armadillo

A hard shell protects the armadillo, which is a distant cousin to the anteater. The three-banded armadillo can roll into an armored ball when it feels threatened. Other kinds of armadillos flee or burrow into the ground to escape predators.

Answer: bandicoot

Regarding the clue, Ted Bundy was a serial killer. He was NOT cute.

An endangered animal, the bandicoot is a marsupial with a pointy nose. It lives in Australia and New Guinea. This burrowing nocturnal mammal is a kangaroo cousin. The female's pouch faces backwards so that dirt cannot get inside as she digs her burrow.

Bandicoots have strong hind legs and tough claws for digging. Their bodies range from 11 to 32 inches in length. Like kangaroos, they have long tails.

An omnivore, the bandicoot eats insects such as termites, lizards, mice, worms, snails, fruit, and seeds. Its ability to get most of the water it needs from its food helps it to survive in its hot, dry habitat.

Answer: crocodile

Crocodiles grab and tear their food rather than chew it. A croc has at least 60 teeth and may have as many as 3,000 of them during its lifetime. Unlike those of an alligator, a crocodile's teeth remain outside its closed mouth. This gives the croc a scary grin. A baby croc is born with an "egg tooth" that falls out soon after the mini croc hatches. As the name suggests, the baby uses its egg tooth to help break free of its eggshell.

A crocodile's nostrils are on top of its snout so that it can breathe as it swims partly submerged--the better to make surprise attacks on prey. Crocs eat both small and large creatures. A big Nile crocodile can kill a buffalo. Occasionally, a Nile croc may dine on an incautious human being, although humans are not its natural prey. Crocodiles sometimes hunt cooperatively and share a meal.

Answer: dachshund

The name dachshund means "badger dog." The muscular dachshund has a long body and short legs, yet it does not move awkwardly. Bred as a hunting dog for "below-ground work" and "beating the bush," the dachshund holds its head high in a spirited, alert manner. It has a keen sense of smell--in fact, all of its senses are well-developed. The American Kennel Club describes its temperament as "clever, lively and courageous to the point of rashness." Apparently, shy dachshunds are rare.

Answer: elephant

Elephants mourn their dead. I watched a National Geographic video showing a small group of elephants fondling the bones of their late matriarch. They felt every nook and cranny of the skull with their sensitive trunks and gently touched bones with the bottoms of their feet. It was a moving ceremony.

Answer: flamingo

An adult flamingo weighs as much as a small cat (about eight or nine pounds). The tallest flamingos are over four feet tall. The flamingo owes its bright pink hue to shrimplike crustaceans that it eats. To feed, a flamingo wades in shallow water. After using its webbed feet to stir up the muddy bottom, the bird submerges its bill--and sometimes its whole head--in the water and sucks up water and mud.

Its beak has a built-in filter to strain out food. Besides crustaceans, a flamingo eats fish larvae, little fish, and plankton. Flamingos live in large flocks.

Their numbers protect them from predators. A flamingo lays and hatches one egg at a time. The hatchling is gray and white and does not turn pink until it is two years old.

Answer: giraffe

This leggy creature can run as fast as 35 miles per hour. Because it is so tall, a giraffe can feed on greenery from the tiptops of trees such as acacias. Its height also helps it to spot predators before they get too close. An adult giraffe's legs are taller than you, probably: about six feet tall. Of course, its neck is famously long, too. So is its tongue--about 21 inches--this allows a giraffe to reach leaves and buds that might otherwise be out of its reach. An adult eats hundreds of pounds of food each week. Like cows, giraffes regurgitate their foot and chew their cuds to squeeze out as much nutrition as possible.

Sometimes being so tall is not an advantage. It is awkward for a giraffe to drink from water holes. It must spread its legs wide and lean into a position that makes it vulnerable to big cats. At birth, an infant giraffe falls about five feet onto the ground. Welcome to the world--ouch! The baby can get up and run with its mother within about 10 hours of its birth.

No two giraffes have the same pattern on their beautifully spotted coats. However, zoologists think giraffes that live in the same area have similarly patterned fur.

Answer: hippopotamus

What does a hippo have in common with a wealthy woman from Beverly Hills? Each enjoys a relaxing day at the spa. A grungy hippo submerges, relaxes, and gives itself over to a full-body treatment. One species of fish scours its skin and another cleans its brushy tail.

The hippo obligingly opens its cavernous mouth for dental cleaning fish. There is even a fish species that specializes in tidying up a hippo's private parts.

Answer: ibex

This mountain goat lives at high altitudes in Europe, central Asia, and north Africa. The male ibex has a chin beard and long horns (up to three feet in length!) shaped like scimitars. The female's horns are thinner and shorter--up to 15 inches long. Her horns curve slightly backward. The male can weigh 270 pounds, and the ewe is smaller.

Females (accompanied by their young) live in a separate group from males. Mating occurs in December and January. Males fiercely battle one another to win supremacy and gain their pick of females. Ewes give birth to one baby at a time.

Over 3000 live in Gran Paradiso National Park, located in the Italian Alps. The Italian government established the park in 1922 to protect the endangered ibex. There are about 5000 others living in other parts of the Alps.

Answer: jaguar

The word JAGUAR came from the Native American word YAGUAR, meaning "he who kills with one leap."

A jaguar is usually tan- or orange-colored with lovely decorative "rosettes" of coal black spots. Some jaguars' spots are so plentiful and close together that these animals appear to be black all over. However, a closer look shows their markings.

The biggest of South America's big cats, jaguars once inhabited lands stretching from South America's southern tip to the area that surrounds the border between the United States and Mexico. Alas, the jaguar's habitat has shrunk dramatically. Today large numbers of the beautiful spotted cats live only in remote South and Central American regions such as the Amazon basin.

Jaguars are strong swimmers who get much of their prey from rivers. They eat caimans (littler alligator-like creatures), fish, and turtles. The prey they hunt on land includes capybaras, deer, peccaries, and tapirs. A hunting jaguar may climb a tree to stalk its prey, pounce on it from above, and kill the unsuspecting creature with one mighty bite.

Except mothers with young cubs, jaguars live solitary lives. They mark their territory by clawing trees and creating "property lines" made from their own pee and poop.

Mother jaguars give birth to one to four cubs at a time. At birth, the babies are as blind and helpless as domesticated kittens. Females stay with their cubs for about two years, fiercely protecting them from predators--which may include their own dads! A two-year-old jaguar cub has most likely learned most of what its mother has to teach about hunting; the mother and child part at this point.

It is a shameful fact that people still hunt jaguars for their lovely fur.

Answer: kangaroo

I just watched a few videos about kangaroos. They are pretty amazing creatures. When a red kangaroo baby is born, it is about the size of a lima bean. It looks like a newborn mouse--or even less developed than that--it is more like a fetus than a baby. Using only its front legs (its back ones are just buds), it must make its way through its mother's thick fur into her pouch. There it latches on to a nipple and stays that way for many days. The mom has two kinds of nipples in her pouch: one for the newborn and one for her joey who lives outside the pouch. A mom can actually have three offspring (of different ages) at once. One is a dormant embryo waiting to be born when its mother's occupied pouch becomes available again; one is the pouch's occupant; and the third is her outside-the-pouch joey.

Male kangaroos (like many other types of males) fight one another to win the right to impregnate females. They have strong legs and sharp claws for kicking and scratching. A big male looks like a tall, furry, pear-shaped prize fighter.

Answer: Canada lynx

The Canada lynx will eat mice, squirrels, and birds, but its preferred prey is the snowshoe hare. About every ten years, the snowshoe hare population drops dramatically. The lynx is so dependent on this prey that its population drops, too, and rises again when the hare population experiences a comeback.

A lynx's luxuriant fur keeps it warm during icy winters. Its huge, furry paws hit the ground with a spreading toe motion. Thus, its paws function as built-in snowshoes.

The lynx is a highly-skilled hunter with excellent hearing aided by the tufts on its ears. Its super-keen eyesight allows the big cat to spot a mouse that is 250 feet away.

The sabertooth tiger was the last big cat species to become extinct. Currently, the lynx is the most endangered feline in the world, so--sadly--it could be next.

Answer: Alaska moose

The moose is the largest member of the deer family. Moose are plentiful in the U.S. state of Alaska. Although it is not in a moose's nature to be aggressive, if provoked it can be a dangerous creature. Alaskans know that a vehicle-moose collision rarely has a good outcome, so canny drivers keep a sharp lookout for the huge beasts. The state of Alaska forbids feeding moose--this is to protect both people and animals. Many Alaskans believe that living with moose for neighbors is one of the best aspects of life in their state.

The Alaska moose's habitat stretches from the Unuk River in the Southeast Panhandle to the Colville River on the Arctic Slope.

Answer: nightingale

Re. the last name Nye, Louie or Louis Nye was a Jewish comedian who appeared on TV shows in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s and was also the father of my college boyfriend, Peter, who is an artist (painter) living in San Francisco.

This is the second-to-last stanza of John Keats's poem "Ode to a Nightingale":

Thou wast not born for death, immortal Bird!
No hungry generations tread thee down;
The voice I hear this passing night was heard
In ancient days by emperor and clown:
Perhaps the self-same song that found a path
Through the sad heart of Ruth, when, sick for home,
She stood in tears amid the alien corn;
The same that ofttimes hath
Charm'd magic casements, opening on the foam
Of perilous seas, in faery lands forlorn.

Answer: ostrich

The tallest and the heaviest bird in the world, the ostrich cannot fly. It runs instead. One ostrich stride can measure up to 16 feet long. For short distances, this huge, speedy bird can run over 40 miles an hour. For longer distances, it can maintain a speed of over 30 miles per hour. Its short wings are not useless: the ostrich holds them outstretched when it runs, and uses them to help balance itself. An ostrich has mightily strong legs--it can kill a lion by kicking the predator.

Ostriches live near--and have a symbiotic relationship with--grazing animals such as wildebeest and zebras. The grass eaters disturb insects and rodents from hiding places so the ostriches can gobble them up. In turn, ostriches warn grazers when predators approach. A herd of ostriches has about 12 members. Males compete to lead a group of several females. As well as a dominant male, each herd has a head female. She mates only with the dominant male (who is free to mate with whichever female he chooses). All ostrich hens in a herd lay their eggs in the dominant female's nest. "Keeping all their eggs in one basket" makes it easier for the herd to protect them.

Answer: Palomino

A palomino is a horse with a golden coat and white mane and tail. Speaking genetically, every palomino possesses a "cream gene" that transforms its red or chestnut-colored fur to a creamy golden beige.

Due to its lovely color, a palomino looks particularly beautiful in a parade or show ring. This color of horse was especially popular in movies and TV shows during the mid-20th century. One famous palomino was Trigger, the faithful steed of Hollywood cowboy star Roy Rogers. Another palomino of note was Mr. Ed, who starred on his own TV show. Mr. Ed's real name was Bamboo Harvester.

Answer: quahog

The hard-shelled clam aka the quahog is a marine mollusk that is native to the east coasts of North America and Central America. This bivalve's habitat extends from Prince Edward Island to the Yucatán Peninsula.

Shellfish sellers group clams by size. The smallest ones are called countnecks; next come littlenecks, and then topnecks. The next-biggest are the cherrystones, and the largest are called quahogs or chowder clams.

The name quahog [KOH-hog] comes from a Narragansett word: "poquauhock." Native Americans in New England used clam shells to make valuable beads (wampum) that they used as currency.

Answer: rhinoceros

There are five different species of rhinoceros: black, white, Javan, great Indian, and Sumatran.

Rhinos are aggressive creatures with fairly poor vision--if they smell and/or hear something they perceive as a threat (such as a human being), they are likely to charge even if they can't see what they are charging. Sometimes they wind up charging rocks and trees.

A black rhino uses the bigger of the two horns on its nose as a weapon. Rhino horns are made of a substance similar to that of human fingernails--but since rhino horns are much thicker than our fingernails are, the horns are of course much stronger. Rhino horns sometimes break off, but they regenerate. Mother rhinos may use their horns to chase off lions, crocodiles, and other predators that threaten their babies.

A black rhino mom cares for her calf until she gives birth to its next sibling. By this time the young rhino is usually over two years old. It is almost adult-sized, well trained, and ready to take care of itself.

Rhinos are endangered because, in some Asian and African cultures, people treasure rhino horns for use as medicine or as dagger handles. Such people are willing to pay high prices for rhino horns, so some poachers are willing to kill rhinos, breaking laws that protect these mighty creatures.

Answer: harbor seal

A Pacific harbor seal can grow to five or six feet in length. Males may weigh up to 300 pounds, while females are slightly smaller. Sliding on their bellies on land, these seals use their flippers to push themselves along.

Despite its name, the Pacific harbor seal's habitat stretches north of the equator in the Atlantic Ocean as well as the Pacific. In the Pacific, they live as far north as Alaska and as far south as Baja California. This seal prefers coastal bays, beaches, islands, estuaries, and mudflats.

A pup can swim as soon as it is born. However, sometimes a weary pup takes a ride on Mom's back. A harbor seal pup's cry resembles that of a lamb: "maaaa!"

This seal spends about half its time in the water. It can plunge as far as 1,500 feet below the surface and remain there for as long as 40 minutes. The pinniped feasts upon cod, herring, flounder, octopus, sole, and squid, among other aquatic prey.

There are about 500,000 harbor seals in the world. Over 30,000 make their home in California.

Don't get too close to harbor seals. If you do they may abandon their pups or stop frequenting favorite haul-out places.

A harbor seal may live as long as 30 years.

Answer: toucan

Regarding the clue, Cannes is a city in France. Its name is pronounced "con" or "kahn."

Toucans live in South America's tropical forests. This bird's huge, colorful bill has made it famous worldwide.

A toucan's bill is about 7.5 inches (19 cm) long. In a mating ritual, toucans use their bills to toss and catch love gifts of fruit. Their long bills also allow them to reach fruit on thin branches that won't support their weight. The bill is a good fruit-skinning tool, as well. Besides fruit, some toucans eat eggs, insects, lizards, and even young birds.

You might think that a toucan's brilliant colors would cause it to stand out. However, their bright hues actually camouflage them in the dappled light under the rainforest's canopy.

Toucan moms and dads both care for their eggs. They normally have two to four eggs per year. A toucan hatchling is not born with a large bill--its bill takes a few months to develop.

Answer: unicorn

Most people think of the unicorn as a legendary animal (a beautiful horse with a single horn growing from its forehead), but some experts believe that unicorn-like creatures lived on Earth at some point in the past.

An extinct rhinoceros cousin called the Elasmotheium had some physical traits in common with unicorns--although its body was shaped more like a buffalo's than a horse's. Narwhals have long, straight, spiraling tusks like those unicorns were supposed to possess. Some scientists think that ancient people may have mistaken a mutant form of goat for a unicorn.

Here is the last stanza of "The Unicorn," a poem by Shel Silverstein:

You'll see a lot of alligators and a whole mess of geese.
You'll see humpy bumpy camels and lots of chimpanzees.
You'll see catsandratsandelephants, but sure as you're born
you're never gonna see no Unicorn.

Answer: prairie vole

Like other voles, prairie voles can reproduce at any time of the year, but the main breeding seasons are in the fall and the spring. Unlike other voles, prairie voles are generally monogamous. The prairie vole is a notable animal model for studying monogamous behavior and social bonding because male and female partners form lifelong pair bonds, huddle and groom each other, and share nesting and pup-raising responsibilities.

However, they are not always sexually faithful. Though pair-bonded females usually show aggression toward unfamiliar males, both sexes will occasionally mate with other voles if the opportunity arises.

Answer: wallaroo

A wallaroo's size is midway between that of a kangaroo and a wallaby. The word "wallaroo" is a portmanteau of "wallaby" and "kangaroo". In general, a large, slim-bodied macropod of the open plains is called a "kangaroo"; a small to medium-sized one, particularly if it is chubby, is a "wallaby." Most wallaroos are only a little smaller than a kangaroo, fairly thickset, and are found in open country. All share a particular habit of stance: wrists raised, elbows tucked close into the body, and shoulders thrown back.

The common wallaroo (Macropus robustus) is the best-known species.

Answer: yellowhammer

The yellowhammer is a bird in the bunting family. It is native to Eurasia but it has also been introduced in New Zealand and Australia. The male has a bright yellow head and yellow underparts. This bird's song has a rhythm like "A little bit of bread and no cheese."

Here are the last lines of poet John Clare's "The Yellowhammer":

In early spring, when winds blow chilly cold,
The yellowhammer, trailing grass, will come
To fix a place and choose an early home,
With yellow breast and head of solid gold.

Answer: zorilla

The striped polecat aka the African polecat, the zorilla is a member of the weasel family. However, it resembles a skunk. The name "zorilla" comes from the word "zorro", which in Spanish means "fox." Zorillas live predominantly in dry and arid climates, such as the savannahs and open country of Central, Southern, and sub-Saharan Africa, excluding the Congo basin and the more coastal areas of West Africa.

The zorilla is an aggressive, territorial animal. It marks its territory with an "anal spray." The spray serves as a defense against predators, in a similar manner as employed by skunks. The spray, released by anal stink glands, temporarily blinds enemies and irritates their mucous membranes. Before spraying the opponent with this noxious fluid, the zorilla takes a "threat stance" with its back arched, its rear end facing the enemy, and its tail straight up in the air.