Can You Ace This Basic Animal Trivia Quiz?

By: Ashley Ehman
Estimated Completion Time
3 min
Can You Ace This Basic Animal Trivia Quiz?
Image: Jamie Garbutt / DigitalVision / Getty Images

About This Quiz

There are a variety of professions that involve animals, from your friendly neighborhood zookeeper to the manager at your local kennel. People in careers like these are likely to have a broader knowledge of certain animals than the average Joe. These individuals would be considered experts in their field. Guess what? This quiz isn't made for animal experts. This quiz is made for those people who sometimes watch the Animal Planet network, have seen parts of "Planet Earth" or find themselves perusing their kid's animal books. If you're the kind of person who finds themselves knowing a fair amount about commonly discussed animals, then this quiz is for you!

Are you still not sure if you should take this quiz? Do you know what a baby horse is called? Or what a Labrador Retriever's average life expectancy is? What about which animal has the shortest memory span? If you could answer any of these questions without hesitation, it's time to go through the 35 questions of this quiz! Will you come out on top, or will you find yourself in the dog house? Let's find out once and for all if you can ace this basic animal trivia quiz!

25 hippo
Image Source / Image Source / Getty Images
The name of which African animal means "river horse"?
Hippopotamus
Crocodile
Water buffalo
Camel
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

While it might seem like hippopotamuses would be more closely related to elephants or water buffaloes, they are actually considered cetaceans! This means they are more closely related to whales.

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17 koala
Andrea Gambadoro - Filmmaker and Photographer / Moment / Getty Images
Eucalyptus leaves make up the majority of which animal's diet?
Koala
Wombat
Red Panda
Giraffe
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Koalas eat so many eucalyptus leaves that they even smell like eucalyptus! In a single day, one koala can eat more than two pounds of the leaf, forcing them to travel tree to tree until they are satiated.

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16 elephant
Ronnie Kaufman / DigitalVision / Getty Images
This animal is poached for their ivory. What animal is it?
Narwhals
Antelope
Elephant
Water buffalo
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

An elephant's ivory tusks are directly related to their age. Elephants with larger tusks are older and more mature. However, it is still possible for an elephant without tusks to be an older adult, as female Asian elephants do not grow them.

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14 bald eagle
KenCanning / E+ / Getty Images
What bird is the national emblem of the United States?
Great horned owl
Turkey
Cardinal
Bald eagle
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Bald eagles mate for life, meaning they stay with a single mate. Each mating pair can produce up to three eggs in a year, but the chances of all three of them surviving are slim to none.

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24 bat
Rapeepong Puttakumwong / Moment / Getty Images
Which animal is known to use echolocation?
Elephant
Bat
Rattlesnake
Mackerel
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Bats use echolocation to find food in the dark. By sending out a shrill noise, they can tell where objects are based on how the noise changes. This skill helps them eat as many as 1,200 mosquitoes in one hour!

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7 owl
Floridapfe from S.Korea Kim in cherl / Moment / Getty Images
Which animal is able to rotate its head 270 degrees?
Hamster
Horse
Owl
Rat
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

To allow their heads to move in such a way, owls have a blood collection system that stashes blood. In doing so, the eyes and the brain remain attached to a blood supply while the bird rotates its head.

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15 hummingbird
Philip Dumas / Moment / Getty Images
Which species of bird is the only one that can fly backwards?
Toucan
Hummingbird
Bald eagle
African grey
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The hummingbird family contains the smallest bird in existence — the bee hummingbird. The bird is so small that their body weight does not even equal the weight of half a nickel.

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1 dog
Image by Erin Vey / Moment / Getty Images
What animal is known as "Man's Best Friend"?
Dog
Cat
Horse
Fish
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

This phrase is especially true in the United States! The USA has one of the highest domesticated dog populations in the world, rounding out right around 76 million within the borders.

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27 penguin
Cedric Favero / Moment / Getty Images
The emperor version of this is the largest of what animal?
Butterfly
Tiger
Finch
Penguin
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The largest out of all penguins, the emperor penguin is the only kind that breeds during the Antarctic winter. Each pair lays one egg, which is then incubated by the male for two months.

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29 polar bear
© Vadim Balakin / Moment / Getty Images
Which bear appears white, but actually has transparent fur?
Sun bear
Grizzly bear
Polar bear
Sloth bear
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Polar bears are carnivores, meaning they feed on meat. Their prey of choice is the variety of seals found in the Arctic Circle. Polar bears use ice floats to locate seals in the water or surprise them when they come on for shelter.

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10 mule
Zen Rail / Moment / Getty Images
When a male donkey and a female horse breed, the resulting offspring is what animal?
Dorse
Zorse
Hinny
Mule
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Mules can be either female or male; however, they are not able to reproduce. Because a horse has 64 chromosomes and a donkey has 62, the resulting mule will have 63. This odd-numbered average means they can't have offspring.

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19 sheep
Apostoli Rossella / Moment / Getty Images
Ewes, rams and lambs are names given to members of what species?
Sheep
Cats
Foxes
Gophers
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The first animal to be successfully cloned was a sheep named Dolly. To make this happen, scientists used nuclear transfer. The purpose of the experiment was to produce better-modified livestock.

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33 panda
Long Zhiyong / Moment / Getty Images
What animal is known as the "national treasure" of China?
Giant panda
Clouded leopard
Dugong
Tibetan macaque
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Even though they are highly regarded in their home country of China, giant pandas face rapidly declining populations. As of 2019, there were an estimated 1,900 living in the wild.

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32 puffer fish
shan.shihan / Moment / Getty Images
As a defense mechanism, which animal blows up like a ball when threatened?
Rattlesnake
Bearded dragon
Hooded seals
Pufferfish
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Dolphins find pufferfish particularly fascinating. While other animals find their toxins lethal, dolphins have a somewhat adverse effect. They have been known to get a buzz after chewing on a pufferfish!

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26 giraffe
1001slide / E+ / Getty Images
What is the tallest animal on Earth?
Moose
Elephant
Giraffe
Ostrich
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

A giraffe can be anywhere between 14 and 19 feet tall. When a female giraffe comes to term after her 15-month long pregnancy, the calf falls between 4 and 6 feet to the ground.

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5 goldfish
manoa / Moment / Getty Images
Which fish is the most popular aquarium fish in the entire world?
Sucker Fish
Goldfish
Angelfish
Betta fish
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Despite its popularity, there is still some false information spread about goldfish. While they have shorter memories than a lot of animals, it's more than three seconds. They are said to remember things for up to five months.

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6 guinea pig
Danielle Kiemel / Moment / Getty Images
This popular pet is also known as a cavie. Which pet is it?
Hamster
Guinea pig
Cockatoo
Rabbit
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Guinea pigs are known by other names across the world. In Germany, their name translates to "little sea pigs," while in France, their name means "Barbary rabbits." Their Latin name also means "little pig."

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12 pigs
Catherine Falls Commercial / Moment / Getty Images
Pigs are known for having an excellent sense of what?
Smell
Sight
Hearing
Taste
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Pigs are known to forage for food by using their snouts to smell out anything worthwhile. They then use their snouts to push away dirt and plants to find the food that caught their attention.

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23 mouse
Alan Tunnicliffe Photography / Moment / Getty Images
When portrayed in cartoons, what animal is often seen eating cheese?
Rabbit
Dog
Cat
Mouse
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In a naturally occurring diet, mice do not feast on cheese. Their foods of choice are seeds, grains and fruit. They can also be found eating insects, slugs and larvae. In rare instances, they may even eat bird eggs or each other.

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9 blue whale
Michael Mike L. Baird flickr.bairdphotos.com / Moment / Getty Images
What is the biggest animal in the world?
Blue whale
Elephant
Giant squid
Giraffe
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

While the blue whale reigns as the largest known animal on Earth, it almost went extinct. This was due to the popularity of commercial whaling. Whale oil, baleen, and whale meat were all desirable products at one point.

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2 ostrich
Anup Shah / DigitalVision / Getty Images
Which bird is the largest in the world?
Emu
Flamingo
Ostrich
Toucan
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

To match their large stature, ostriches lay extremely large eggs. To put their egg size into perspective, one ostrich egg is equal to the same amount as one dozen average-sized chicken eggs.

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31 great white shark
by wildestanimal / Moment / Getty Images
Which animal has a skeleton made out of cartilage?
Great white shark
Blue whale
Manatee
Ocean sunfish
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Great white sharks face very few predators, since they are the largest predatory fish in the ocean! Once they reach adulthood, the only dangers they face are larger sharks and Orca whales.

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22 tiger
ANN CLARKE IMAGES / Moment / Getty Images
Which species of cat is the largest?
Lion
Tiger
Bobcat
Mountain lion
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Many kinds of tigers face declining population levels and are considered endangered. While they are sometimes poached for their furs, the primary cause of their decline is habitat loss.

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34 cow
Photograph taken by Alan Hopps / Moment / Getty Images
This livestock species has four stomachs. Which animal are we talking about?
Horse
Cow
Chickens
Ducks
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Cows spend a lot of time chewing! With an estimated rate of 50 times in a minute, cows are said to move their jaws roughly 40,000 times a day. The byproduct of all this chewing? Cud.

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11 goat
Faba-Photography / Moment / Getty Images
This animal is known for its rectangular-shaped pupils. Which animal is it?
Donkey
Pig
Goat
Chicken
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

A goat's pupil is actually beneficial to their survival! Goats need to be vigilant to avoid falling victim to a predator. Their rectangular pupils give them a greater field of vision, so they can locate threats easier.

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28 seal
Aydin Palabiyikoglu / Moment / Getty Images
Seals have a special layer of fat called what?
Frost layer
Thermogenic lining
Blubber
Fat deposit
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Even though they are considered semi-aquatic mammals, seals only come on land to breed, give birth or get away from predators. Due to their long time spent in the water, they can sleep underwater.

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4 fawn
Dennis Fischer Photography / Moment / Getty Images
What is a baby deer called?
Filly
Kit
Hatchling
Fawn
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

A baby deer can also be called a calf or a kid. Females are referred to as does or hinds, and male specimens are identified as stags or bucks. When a group of deer is together, they are called a herd.

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3 horses
Anton Petrus / Moment / Getty Images
Horses belong to which dietary group?
Omnivore
Herbivore
Carnivore
Insectivore
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Because they only eat plants, horses require a lot of food to maintain a healthy weight. If they aren't fed anything else, a horse weighing 1,000 pounds would need to eat 25 pounds of hay every day!

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8 rabbit
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Despite the stereotype, carrots can actually be bad for which animal?
Donkey
Camel
Rabbit
Horse
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Even though it seems like every rendition of a rabbit is seen eating a carrot, they can actually be detrimental to a rabbit's oral health! Since carrots are high in sugar, tooth decay increases among rabbits who are regularly fed carrots.

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13 chicken
Digital Vision. / Digital Vision / Getty Images
Which living animal is most closely related to the Tyrannosaurus Rex?
Kangaroo
Komodo dragon
Ostrich
Chicken
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Chicken eggs can come in a variety of colors, but this isn't entirely up to chance! The color of the egg a chicken will lay is dependent upon their earlobe color. A brown egg would have to come from a chicken with brown earlobes.

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35 platypus
Joao Inacio / Moment / Getty Images
Other than echidnas, what is the only mammal to lay eggs?
Ostrich
Beaver
Platypus
Turtle
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

During the mating season, male platypuses develop a spur on their bodies that can be used as a weapon against competing males or predators. The spur is venomous and has enough toxicity to kill a dog.

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20 groundhog
Mike R Turner / Moment / Getty Images
This animal is the largest member of the squirrel family. What animal is it?
Red squirrel
Prairie dog
Chipmunk
Groundhog
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Groundhogs have a collection of talents. They can climb and swim, which gives them an advantage over their predators. They can also construct elaborate burrows to live in, complete with bathroom chambers.

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18 snail
maxphotography / Moment / Getty Images
What animal is able to sleep for three years?
Bullfrog
Bearded dragon
Boa constrictor
Snail
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Even though they can sleep for literal years, snails are awake enough to be considered pests for gardeners. Without proper precautions, a snail can wreak havoc on the leaves and stems of a crop.

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30 flamingo
VanWyckExpress / E+ / Getty Images
A flamingo's pink color is a result of what?
Direct sunlight
A parasite
Hormones
Their diet
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The origin of the word "flamingo" has roots in the Spanish language. Flamingo is derived from the word "flamenco," which means fire. They are named as such because of their red and pink appearance.

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21 bearded dragon
fotografixx / E+ / Getty Images
What popular reptilian pet originated in Australia?
Iguana
Bearded dragon
Chinese water dragon
Komodo dragon
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Bearded dragons are popular pets for several reasons. First, they tend to be calmer than other reptiles. In addition, they can be leash-trained and have even been shown to recognize their owners.

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You Got:
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