Can You Identify All of These 4-Legged Creatures?

By: Chelsea
Image: Shutterstock

About This Quiz

Depending where you live in the world, your pet may be a dog or an elephant. Or, your pet of choice could be a turtle or a yak.

The four-legged creatures in this quiz aren’t all meant to be family members. However, they are all unique in one way or another. For instance, the zebra giraffe, or okapi, which has the stature of a zebra, actually has a longer tongue than a giraffe! The okapi use their 18-inch-long tongues to reach tender leaves and groom themselves. Even the zebra itself is unique, born with black skin. All these four-legged creatures deserve our appreciation and respect, but some like the rhino or puma you’ll need to admire from a distance. It’s time to see how well you know creatures that walk on four legs. Take this quiz now. 


Exotic pets are another category that is found on this quiz. If you’re into frogs, you may be able to identify the poison dart frog. This frog can be a pet as it is not poisonous in captivity, as long as you feed it non-poisonous flies and ants. Whether an exotic pet, a furry family member, or living wild, the animal lover in you should be able to identify these four-legged creatures. Find out now by taking this quiz.



This creature is very small, and looks similar to a rodent. It has the coloring of a skunk, with its black and white stripes. They are a popular exotic pet.

Horses have long been man’s companion and mode of transportation. They even delivered mail! The Pony Express was a mail delivery service that consisted of postmen and their horses.

Did you know that a donkey can be bred with a horse to make a mule? Known for the ‘hee-haw’ call they make, donkeys can be very loud, similar to the donkey in the movie, "Shrek."

Elephants are used as a mode of transportation and as pack animals in Thailand, India and Myanmar. They are also used for logging and tourism.

Hedgehogs are round and have brownish-black spines all over their bodies. Do you remember Sonic the Hedgehog? Just imagine him without the blue color!

How is a fennec fox different from a fox? It has very large ears that stick straight out from its small body. It is found in North Africa, specifically in the Sahara desert.

Skunks have not been known as great buddies to humans, except to the few who take the black-and-white striped creature in as a pet. If you see one of these in the wild, watch out, its spray will leave you stinking for days!

What is a kinkajou? It is a mammal that lives in the rainforest. It has a long tail, and crawls around on all fours, and has a face that looks like a tiny bear. This could be why its nicknamed the ‘honey bear.’

The serval looks a lot like a leopard or cheetah, but it is its own animal. This wild African cat eats small animals, such as frogs or rats. It has long legs and a small, cat-like head.

Are you scared of rats or mice? If so, it’s suggested to stay away from this large rodent who can weigh up to 150 pounds. Yikes!

If you get a turtle as a pet, you may or may not get to see its face. A turtle has the ability to retreat its legs and head into the safe protection of its hard shell. They do this when they feel threatened, so as long as you are a good owner, you should be able to look your friend in the eye.

Mules have long been used as packing animals, as they can climb up hills and mountains well with large loads tied to their backs. They are still used for this purpose in many places today.

Let’s check the facts. Wolves do not howl at the moon. They howl at night, since they are nocturnal, giving some people the impression that their calls are directed at the moon. However, their howling is their communicating with other wolves. Wolves hunt and come alive at dusk and at night.

Do you think you could outrun a cheetah? You’d have to be much faster than the fastest human on earth, even faster than some cars on the highway. Cheetahs can run up to 75 mph in short bursts!

This majestic, social creature lives in groups called lion prides. Prides have mostly females, their cubs and a couple of males who protect the group.

The small, tame version of a leopard or jungle cat is the Bengal cat. This is a specially bred cat that is domestic and taken for a pet.

Where do yaks live? In the Himalayas, Mongolia, Russia and in the Tibetan Plateau. They are labeled as a vulnerable species, since they were heavily hunted in the mid 1900’s.

This frog’s color is toned down from the poison dart frog, which allows them to protect themselves from predators. Did you know that if these frogs are raised in captivity, they will not produce poison?

This central-African animal has interesting coloring and is known as the zebra giraffe. It has black and white stripes on its hind end and the top of its back legs, and the lower part of its back legs are completely white. Its front legs and face also have black and white stripes. The rest of its body is a solid dark color.

This 4-legged creature goes by multiple names, including the Malayan Tapir, cipan, and tenuk. It looks like a cross between a hog and small horse, with a pointy snout.

The anteater is commonly found in South America, but can also be found in Central America and even on the southern tip of Mexico. They do not have teeth, so their long tongue is perfectly made for eating ants!

Jaguars look similar to leopards and are mostly found in the Amazon rainforest. They can also be found in places in the U.S. Be careful, they kill victims by surprise and can kill an animal instantly.

All over the world, cows are a well-used and worked farm animal, except in India, where they are revered as sacred.

Did you know that zebras technically are black with white stripes? They are born with this color pattern, and usually their black color turns darker as they grow up.

This creature is known for being swift and graceful. It is in the antelope family, and can finesse a run that goes up to 60 mph!

The Lynx is a medium-sized wild cat, and is related to the bobcat. It has pretty, tall, pointed ears and extra-long hind legs. Depending on where it lives, it can be white and grey, or a dark orange with black spots.

This animal walks on all of its short four legs, is rather plump, and has a long head that is marked with wide black and white stripes. You don’t need to worry about getting preyed upon by a badger. They are omnivores.

Otters may look cute while splishing and splashing together in the water, but they also can be detrimental to a body of water’s fish population. They are carnivores, and can be aggressive eaters.

Bighorn sheep have bold, u-shaped horns that come on either side of their heads. They must have strong necks; their horns are about 10 percent of their entire body weight.

This stunning creature looks like a soft, fluffy white cloud. Its fur is all white, with a dainty black nose and eyes.

This type of fox is the largest of all foxes, with adults being up to 31 pounds in size. They have red tint to their fur, along with other black and white markings. Like many other animals, red foxes mark their territory with urine and feces.

The polar bear is a massive, powerful creature with white fur. Its white fur helps it blend in with its snow and ice filled surroundings.

The sloth is an animal that moves so little, it is thought of as lazy. There are different types of sloths, including the three-toed sloth and the giant ground sloth.

This animal lives in many places in the world, but is native to Europe and north-west Africa. It will eat almost anything, like a pig, even manure!

The dingo is a wild dog native to Australia. It can help farmers by eating rabbits and rats, and is a cultural icon in Australia.

This creature is somewhat of a mystery, as it is only seen on Australia’s island, Tasmania. There are only about 12,000 of them left.

The European polecat is the wild version of the ferret. Ferrets are kept as pets, and have a mixture of black, brown and white fur.

Do you really think the groundhog can predict an early or late spring? Either way, the U.S. celebrates Groundhog Day on February 2nd. In the morning, a groundhog is observed coming out of its burrow. If it sees its shadow, spring is said to come soon!

Pumas are speedy, swift cats that live in the Americas. They are also known as panthers or cougars.

The pygmy goat is a breed made for fairs and zoos. This small, cute goat is especially loved by children.

Rhinos are hefty animals that could take another animal or human down quickly. They can charge their massive bodies at high speeds, so watch out!

The ringtail cat is a small, long creature that is in the raccoon family. Its tail is almost as long as its body; it's bushy and thick with black and white stripes.

Watch out! Porcupines protect themselves with their pokey spines that protrude from their bodies. They’ll roll up into a sharp, pointy ball when afraid.

If you see one of these animals, consider it a rarity. Because bobcats are nocturnal and elusive, they are not often spotted by humans. They live in deserts, forests and swamps in North America.

How can you tell the difference between a grizzly and black bear? Black bears are smaller, and do not have the neck hump that grizzlies do. Both types can be brown, black, blonde or cinnamon.

Raccoons are known for being little thieves, because of their looks and habits. They are nocturnal critters that rifle through garbage during the night. The coloring on their faces make a mask-like figure, giving the look of a bandit.

You guessed it, Chip and Dale are chipmunks! These tiny, cute creatures are known for scavenging nuts and seeds, and climbing up trees.

Panda bears are known for munching on bamboo. But did you know they munch and crunch all day long? No wonder they are a bit plump. They sure are cute though!

Coyotes are smaller than the average medium-sized domestic dog, and eat mice, berries, insects and other small things. They live in more civilized areas than wolves, who live up in the mountains.

This slender, slimy 4-legged creature lives in the wild, and some types can be a pet. Don’t take in the Chinese giant salamander as a pet though. It can be up to 4 feet long! Yikes!

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