Do You Hear What I Hear? Trivia Quiz

Answer: Bat

There are 200 bat species that live in Africa in colonies of 100,000 or more bats. That's a lot of bats! The largest African bat is the hammer-headed fruit bat, which has a wingspan of about 33 inches. The reason it is called a fruit bat is because it likes to eat fruit, especially figs, and many times fruit is eaten that is too ripe and unfit for human consumption.

They are nocturnal animals and are quite active at night. Scientists have found that bats communicate with sound in a number of ways; male hammer-headed fruit bats screech in order to attract a mate, but they even communicate with each other as they fight over food and roost in trees.

Answer: Elephant

Elephants experience a lot of emotions - but when they start trumpeting, you'd better watch out. It is a sure sign that they are worked up over something! They typically trumpet when mating, greeting each other, or during a birth, but trumpeting is also used when they feel threatened. Elephants have a larynx, just like humans, where the sound is produced, but push it out through their trunk. Elephants are capable of making a variety of sounds, including a roar, bellow, and rumble, with some sounds able to be heard by other elephants up to six miles away!

Answer: Hippopotamus

Okay! Hippos apparently like to communicate with each other - both above and below water. They make a variety of sounds - and all sources do not agree about what they are called! Some say they growl, while others say they groan, grunt, roar, wheeze, and even honk! Scientists are still unsure as to what all of these sounds mean, but some of them can be heard up to a mile away. But - here's the deal! Hippos are considered to be the deadliest, most dangerous land mammal in the world. Any sound they make is sure to be regarded as threatening to humans!

Answer: Hyena

There are three types of hyenas in Africa - the spotted, the brown, and the striped. Striped and brown hyenas are typically very quiet, but the spotted hyena makes a wide variety of sounds - including the giggle or laugh. While the bark of the hyena does sound like laughter, the animal not making the sound because it thinks something is funny! Hyenas may be excited, frustrated, or angry when they laugh, but the sound is usually connected with hunting for food and vying for their fair share. The laugh can be heard up to an amazing eight miles in the distance!

Answer: Chimpanzee

Chimpanzees frequently communicate with each other, and many of their feelings are conveyed using facial expressions. They also make a lot of noise, with at least 30 different types of sounds and 15 types of calls. When adult chimpanzees are excited they use what is called a pant-hoot, which some scientists believe helps to keep the group together.

When they are alarmed, however, they scream, and this sound can be heard as far away as two miles!

Answer: Snake

From the black mamba to the puff adder, there are many venomous snakes in Africa. Be sure to watch out for the black mamba, which is really more a brownish grey, as it is especially aggressive and has enough poison to kill twelve adults in an hour. The puff adder is the most common snake on the continent and is estimated to be responsible for 60% of the reported snake bites in Africa. One bite contains more than enough venom to kill an adult. Snakes are not known to communicate with each other, so when you hear that hissss, it means it's time to at least try and get out of the way.

The snake feels threatened or mad and you might be the reason!

Answer: Zebra

Zebras make a variety of sounds, including barking, braying, nickering, and snorting. They bark to communicate with others in their group, and nickering is a sound that mothers will use with their young. The snort may serve as either a greeting or a warning if they feel threatened. Their bray sounds very much like one of a mule or donkey; it is their sound of alarm for the herd when predators have been spotted. It is also one of the principal noises zebras make while mating.

Answer: Lion

A lion's roar can be wondrous and frightening at the same time! Contrary to popular belief, lions do not roar when they are angry. They will just jump in and attack if that is the case. But they do roar for a variety of reasons. They may be hungry or looking for a mate.

It may be a warning to other animals that they are getting too close to the pride. It is also a way that they show strength and domination. Actually they have many different ways of communicating with each other with facial expressions and posture.

They do make other sounds, such as purring and humming. But when you hear a roar - that means they are up to five miles away!

Answer: Giraffe

Scientists today have been studying how giraffes communicate with each other. When visiting the zoo, it appears that they are quiet, and many times, that appears to be the case in the wild as well. One of the current theories about giraffe sounds is that its long neck makes it very difficult for a giraffe to produce noise, but the truth of the matter is that giraffes really make a lot of different sounds - they hum, snort, moo, and bellow, mostly for reasons unknown. Oh, and they bleat, much like goats.

Answer: Cricket

Are there really crickets in Africa, you might ask? Well, the answer is: There are giant crickets in Africa. They are called armored ground crickets, can grow up to be 5 cm long, and they bite! While they are happy to eat a varied diet, they often times find themselves the preferred meal of animals, including fellow armored ground crickets, even though they are protected with armor and sharp spines.

Their chirping sound is made by the males, who rub two organs together on their forewings in an action called stridulation. Did you know that studies show that the hotter the temperature, the more male crickets chirp? Interesting!