About This Quiz
If you are one of those creatures who love all things and trivia about animals, then this quiz is for you!Â
One of the most basic discussion points when it comes to animals is their capacity to be cold-blooded or warm-blooded. If you're such an animal fan, we're sure you can tell the difference between these groups of animals, right?
When we say warm-blooded animals, we're talking about those animals that can maintain a relatively constant body temperature. They can do this regardless of whatever the temperature is within their immediate surroundings. Birds are actually warm-blooded animals, and so are mammals. And being mammals, we humans belong to this category, too. Warm-heartedness is a different human feature, though ... just a reminder.
On the other hand, cold-blooded animals are those that cannot really control their body temperature. That means these creatures become quite slow and sluggish when they're in a place with really cold weather. Many fishes, reptiles and amphibians belong in this group. And no matter how you hate your exes, they don't belong here, sorry.
But we're sure you could name these very common and easily identifiable creatures who are indeed cold-blooded in nature, but not necessarily cold-hearted, okay? Care to give it a try? Dive in!
Cold-blooded cobras are, of course, venomous, but it's not really true that they can hear and dance to the snake charmer's flute. It's the rhythmic movements of the charmer that the cobra responds to -- which means they may see certain movements as threats.
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A swordfish can use the long, blade-like bills from its upper jaw as a slashing weapon, which can injure its target fish and make for an easier meal. But in general, a swordfish doesn't really use its bill to spear other fishes without warning or provocation.
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Iguanas are rather large lizards that can also be found in the Caribbean islands and Mexico. Iguanas have a third eye in the middle of their heads that can detect changes in light levels. That eye is potentially used to detect predators from above as well.
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Frogs are the poster boys of the amphibian world. They are recognized as one of those animals to observe if an area has environmental issues, thanks to their dependence on water for their food and reproductive cycles. Just don't kiss them -- they don't really turn into a prince!
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Fire ants' stingers usually pack a lot of hit, as the poison they inject gives the victim a burning sensation. The poison could be fatal to people who are particularly sensitive to it or to someone with extreme allergic reactions.
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Black widow spiders are identified by the hourglass-like marking on their bodies. Their bites are very painful, and victims need immediate medical care. These spiders feed by injecting their prey with digestive juices and then sucking up the "soup" from the prey's body.
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Lobsters are large crustaceans that are similar to shrimp in the looks department. The lobster's claws, however, can exert a hundred of pounds of pressure per square inch. They are also known to eat their own kind, probably due to ecological factors.
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The octopus is a member of the cephalopod family, and it actually has blue blood as a result of using copper to hold oxygen in its blood. This allows its blood to function even in low temperatures. So being cold and blue, it truly is cold-blooded, figuratively and literally speaking!
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Komodo dragons are considered among the largest, if not the largest, lizards in the world. They are actually venomous and are known to eat up to 80% of their mass in just one sitting. Female Komodo dragons can also reproduce without mating.
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Earthworms actually don't have eyes, ears or (obviously) limbs, but they can definitely sense light. There can be more than one earthworms in just one acre of land, and their actions help mix topsoil and deeper earth material together, so they're truly that important.
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Chameleons are lizards that can change their skin color to match their immediate surroundings, making it a survival technique and hunting technique at the same time. They also have eyes that can move independently from each other, plus long, sticky, frog-like tongues.
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Turtles are flexible as they can live on land or in the water, but some species sometimes adapt to life in one specific habitat that they choose. Turtles can live for a very, very long time, with some species known to reach more than a hundred years old!
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Crocodiles are almost perfect predators that can swim up to 25 miles per hour, and they take down prey by dragging them underwater! They really do shed bubbly, frothy tears when their eyes get dried out, and possibly also as a reaction to eating.
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The praying mantis isn't actually praying, despite its name. It just lies as still as possible, so that other insects that get too near will be caught by surprise as it unfolds and snaps back its arms, catching the unsuspecting insects in its grasp.
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Dragonflies are one of the earliest forms of flying insects. They can only eat while in flight, though, so a grounded dragonfly is either just parking itself momentarily before or after eating, or it's resting and thinking of where to fly to next.
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Rattlesnake tails get that rattle sound because they are actually hollow segments that rub against each other, creating that familiar audio warning. Rattlesnakes use this noise to warn other animals not to mess with them, and maybe a warning to humans to run away!
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The squid is recognized as one of the fastest creatures in the ocean, with some of them speeding up to 25 miles per hour for a short time. They eat practically anything they can trap with their tentacles. But once caught, it also makes for delicious seafood dishes, like calamari.
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Scorpions aren't really insects; they're actually more closely related to spiders in the animal world. They can be found on all continents of the world except for Antarctica. They are dangerously predatory, and that's perhaps the reason they also became symbols of fierce power in the human world.
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Hermit crabs have evolved in such a way that they use snail shells and other similar objects for their protection. Not surprisingly, their bodies are relatively soft and curl up when their shells are taken away from them.
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A shrimp is a crustacean that looks like a tubular version of a crab or a small lobster. They are very important to the local circles of life where they are found, as they are the scavengers who could also serve as the main food source of larger animals.
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Crickets really do make noise, but only the male ones! The female crickets are very quiet. Even though they do have wings, crickets rarely use them, as they prefer to jump around using their very strong hind legs.
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If you look closely, moth wings have small scales that look and feel like fine powder. They also have feather-like antennae that allow them to hear much more than a person can. Sadly, their adult life is very short -- especially if they fly too close to an open flame.
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Catfish do have whiskers like their namesake pet. And like a cat's whiskers, they use them as sensory organs that help the fish to become more sensitive to their surroundings. They even have something like taste buds on their skin.
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Termites survive on cellulose, which is found in most plants, but especially in wood. Because of their large colonies, they are forever looking for new food sources -- including parts of your house and furniture!
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Toads are usually separated from frogs by their rougher skin and shorter legs, but some scientists still argue about whether certain species are either a toad or a frog. Toads can live away from water for longer periods, though, so that's a basic qualifier.
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A tortoise is a kind of turtle, first and foremost, but turtles are not automatically tortoises. A tortoise has adapted to living mainly on land, and it is more herbivorous than a turtle. Its dome-like shell is also taller than a turtle's shell.
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Hammerhead sharks don't really use their heads as weapons. The shape of their heads puts their eyes farther apart, giving them close to 360-degree vision. That's a big advantage for a predatory animal like this.
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The nautilus has a shell that looks like it belongs to a snail, but it's actually an armored bladder, which it fills with gas to float. It can have up to 90 tentacles, and it gets around by using water jet propulsion.
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Grasshoppers are one of those insects that are considered agricultural pests. Their enlarged hind legs act like springs that help them jump long distances. Locusts, a type of grasshopper, can even destroy whole farms if they're in a swarm.
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Pythons are really large but nonvenomous snakes. They usually kill their prey by coiling around them and squeezing them, ultimately crushing them to death. Depending on what they eat, they may only need to feed around four or five times a year.
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Puffer fish are known to inflate themselves like balloons, which makes them look bigger and more dangerous, since some also have visible spikes on their skin. But if a larger fish or creature still ends up eating them, death is also a possibility because they are very poisonous.
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Cockroaches get a bad rap because they are associated with dirty surroundings. But they also serve an environmental purpose, since they are very efficient scavengers. The largest roaches can grow up to six inches long, though -- so yeah, we humans better be ready for them!
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Salamanders are not lizards, but they are amphibians that look like lizards. Their main difference from frogs is that their tail never goes away when they become adults. In mythological stories, they are connected to the element of fire.
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Alligators can be differentiated from from crocodiles with their wider jaws that hide their teeth. They also live in freshwater or very swampy environments rather than saltwater ones. Alligators also have relatively weak jaw muscles, so you can keep their jaws closed easier than you would a crocodile's. We still wouldn't recommend a wrestling match, though!
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Coconut crabs are overgrown hermit crabs that gave up trying to find seashells to move into because of their size. Some coconut crabs can weigh as much as nine pounds, and they also have a keen sense of smell. Yes, you could eat them, too; it's actually considered an aphrodisiac in Southeast Asia.
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Stick insects are evolved to look like sticks on a tree branch, and they even sway with the breeze, like they're really part of the tree. However, if they are disturbed, stick insects can release chemicals that smell or taste bad. You've been warned!
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Axolotls are weird lizards that are stuck in "teenager mode" because they never really reach adulthood. They keep underdeveloped traits, such as their external gills. They can also totally regenerate whole limbs or body parts, a fact that scientists are fascinated with.
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Green basilisk lizards are known as Jesus Christ lizards because they seem to be able to run across water, much like when Jesus performed his miracle of walking on water. These creatures have specially webbed feet that allow them to paddle very quickly on the water's surface, making it look like they really walk on water.
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The lionfish was named as such because of the slow, almost regal way that they move through water, combined with their mane-like set of fins. But watch out -- those fins hide poisonous spikes!
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Fiddler crabs have evolved to have one claw larger than the other. This is used for mating purposes such as showing off to females, or to fight other males in competition. Fiddler crabs also use a plug that act as a door when in their burrow, to keep their home safe.
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