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About This Quiz
The North American continent is known for many things, and one of those things is its diverse wildlife. Animals like deer, owls, dog and rats make their home on this continent and go about their daily lives hunting or being hunted. Today, we're going to zoom in on the hunters—the ones that cause smaller animals to have nightmares about being eaten while foraging for their own food. Yes, we're talking about the predators.Â
These are the animals who hunt other animals, whether they're bigger, the same size or even smaller than them. We've even taken the liberty and added in some apex predators to spice things up. Apex predators are animals who are so powerful that nothing hunts them; they are literally at the top of their respective food chains.Â
And don't forget that the North American continent is also made up of Canada, the Caribbean and Mexico, in addition to the US of A. So we've added predators from each of these places to really test your knowledge. Do you really think you can name all these animals that go bump in the night in this quiz? Can you name all these North American predators? Take this quiz and find out!
Elephant seal
Dolphin
Bull shark
A bull shark is an aggressive predator of the sea that feeds on almost anything: bony fish, stingrays and even its own kind—other small sharks. It tends to hide in dark waters before launching its attack on the unsuspecting animal. Bulls sharks hunt during the day and night.
Killer whale
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Dingo
Wood dog
Arctic fox
Gray wolf
The gray wolf is recognized by a different name in some parts of the world: in the Arctic, it is the white or common wolf, while in North America, it is the timber wolf. This wolf is the largest of the dog family and may be gray, black or pure white.
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Jellyfish
Anchovy
Sardine
Lionfish
The lionfish is a colorful fish recognizable by the long, spiky dorsal fins covering its body. Although this fish is often consumed by humans, it must be handled carefully, because its venomous fins can cause nausea and difficulty breathing.
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Alligator
The alligator is a carnivorous reptile related to the crocodile, except that it has distinguishing features: its snout is wide and rounded, and its teeth remain visible when its mouth is closed. Alligators live in primarily freshwater sources, such as rivers and ponds, as well as some brackish waters.
Poison newt
Water Moccasin
Alligator seal
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Reindeer
Black bear
Grizzly bear
The grizzly bear inhabits valleys, forests and woodlands of Canada and parts of North America. Despite its large size, this subspecies of the brown bear is very agile and has been known to move as fast as thirty miles per hour. It can weigh as much as 800 pounds.
Sun bear
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Rattlesnake
The rattlesnake is given its name due to the rattle found at the tip of its tail, which it uses to ward off predators or bewilder its prey. This venomous creature also makes a disturbing hissing sound that scares its prey. Additionally, it may assume a defensive posture by coiling itself up then raising its head high.
Cobra
Watersnake
Sidewinder
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Porcupine
Yak
Western rhino
Wild boar
The wild boar is a big animal with a thick coat of fur that may be brown, black, gray or even red. They can weigh as little as 90 to as much as 700 pounds and stand at 21 inches in height. This boar is native to northwest Africa and Europe but has been found in Asia.
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Fire ant
Fire ants are tiny animals that should not be underestimated. Their painful sting can be inflicted multiple times and cause welts on the skin that may cause infections. These ants consume sweet food as well as small insects and carrion.
Locust
Carpenter ant
Termite
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Mountain lion
The mountain lion is referred to by many names such as cougar, deer tiger, panther and catamount. This wild cat can be found in several areas of North and South America, where it feeds on deer and other animals, such as mice, using its sharp vision and hearing.
Black panther
Ocelot
Catamount
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Fox
Wild dog
Coyote
Coyotes are members of the dog family found in forested and mountainous areas in many countries of North America. Farmers and some homeowners are wary of these versatile animals, which not only feed on fish and rodents but have also been known to kill pets and livestock.
Dingo
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Arctic snow bear
Polar bear
Polar bears have been named as the largest carnivores on earth, and rightly so: an adult bear can weigh as much as 680 kg and be as long as 2.5 meters. They feed mostly on seals hunted out of the ice in the Arctic region where they all live.
Grizzly bear
White beast
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Mountain Lion
Lynx
The lynx is a medium-sized wild cat with spotted fur and a short tail, and it can be found in southern Canada, the United States and northern parts of Mexico. The Iberian Lynx is the most endangered cat in the world- in 2002, less than 100 could be found.
Wildcat
Maine coon cat
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Caiman
Water lizard
American crocodile
The American crocodile is a protected animal; the species is threatened and was once listed as endangered, due to the fact that it was being hunted excessively and its habitat was being destroyed. The crocodile lives in Florida and the tropical waters of the Caribbean.
Sidewinder
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Great horned owl
The great horned owl is an intimidating bird; it has a sharp stare and catlike ears that stand on end, and it produces a deep hooting sound. It may be relatively small in size, but this predator is a powerful one; it can tackle squirrels, raccoons, skunks and even other owls.
Snowy owl
Owlet
Golden eagle
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Hammerhead shark
Great white shark
The great white shark is a fierce predator of the ocean and a threat to other animals. As an adult, it feeds on sea lions and whales, as compared to its younger years, when it feeds on fish. This shark is gray with a white underbelly.
Dolphin
Killer whale
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Peregrine falcon
Snowy owl
Snowy owls are one of the largest of its species to be found in North America. This owl has a predominantly white body with white feathers, which may have brown spots on them. Their claws and their toes are also feather coated.
Bald eagle
Golden eagle
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Great white whale
Porca
Killer whale
The killer whale, or orca, is a huge predator that can consume more than 200 kilograms of food daily. This intelligent animal may feed on squid, penguin and fish and may even join forces with other killer whales to corner its prey before consuming it.
Killer seal
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Garter snake
Rattlesnake
Coral snake
This small but brightly colored snake has fixed fangs at the front of its mouth. It's also difficult to differentiate between its head and its tail because of their similar characteristics. The coral snake uses that to its advantage, as well as the fact that it has the second-strongest venom among snakes.
Western taipan
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Red-tailed hawk
The red-tailed hawk is a small predator that often stalks its prey from its perch from a high vantage point. It then dives and captures either a lizard, rabbit or some other animal before flying back to its safe spot to devour its victim.
Osprey
Snowy owl
Kingfisher
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Bald eagle
The bald eagle is a large predator that has served as the mascot of The United States of America since June 20th, 1782. This eagle was chosen as a national symbol for many reasons, but its amazing strength and regal looks are credited as top factors. Also, this bird of prey is native to the U.S.
Vulture
Golden Eagle
Osprey
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Kingfisher
Peregrine falcon
Peregrine falcons are excellent hunters that stalk their prey from their perch before swooping to snatch their prey mid-flight, reaching speeds as fast as 200 miles per hour. This type of falcon feeds on bats and birds and can be found in almost all countries worldwide, aside from Antarctica.
Bald eagle
Great horned owl
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Golden eagle
The golden eagle is a dark brown bird that has a lighter shade of golden brown feathers on its neck and head. This bird can move very quickly, at a speed of more than 150 miles per hour. The golden eagle is also the national symbol of Mexico.
Bald eagle
Evil duck
Snowy owl
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Locust
Hornet
Wasp
Yellow jacket
The yellow jacket is a wasp that gets its name from the distinctive colors on its body: its face/head is usually yellow and black, and its abdomen has a striped pattern. Yellow jackets live close to humans in nests they have built underground or in trees, where thousands of them may live together.
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Sea anemone
Giant Pacific octopus
This giant octopus is the largest of the octopus family, and so it is known for its impressive size: on average, it weighs about 110 pounds and grows up to 16 feet. They also tend to live to about four years of age and die soon after producing young.
Blowfish
Calamari
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Flounder
Sturgeon
Giant squid
Barracuda
The barracuda is an elongated fish with a pronounced head, strong jaws and teeth and sharp eyes. Its scales may differ from fish to fish; they may be black, gray-blue or brown. This predator is attracted to glossy objects, and as a result, it often pursues fish with silver scales.
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Striped groundhog
Wood mink
Wolverine
American badger
The American badger is a small mammal that is a relative of the weasel, ferret and otter. It has a short, compact body, wide feet with long sharp claws and thick hair found in colors of black, white, brown or gold. It's an aggressive animal that is otherwise reclusive and nocturnal.
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Toothed trout
Flat-headed bass
Atlantic torpedo ray
The Atlantic torpedo ray is a type of electric ray that dwells in the Atlantic Ocean, in the waters of Africa, Brazil and Scotland. It can grow to almost 2 meters and weigh as much as 200 pounds, making it the largest of its kind known to man.
Sturgeon
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Hammerhead shark
Sturgeon
Barracuda
Tiger shark
The tiger shark is a ravenous hunter, with strong jaws and jagged teeth that help it to devour its prey. It consumes many animals, from stingrays to birds, sea snakes and squids. Similar to the great white shark, it is a threat to us, as it is known for attacking humans.
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Rattlesnake
Cottonmouth snake
The cottonmouth snake is also referred to as the water moccasin, but is known scientifically as Agkistrodon piscivorus. It gets its name, "cotton mouth," from the white hue inside its mouth. It has sharp eyes similar to that of a cat and has a thick, stout, and scaly muscular body.
Sidewinder
Western cobra
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Honey badger
Wolverine
A wolverine is an animal of usually 24 to 40 pounds that mostly resides in countries such as Canada, Alaska, Russia and the cold regions of the Arctic. Although its short, furry look resembles that of a small bear, the wolverine is of the weasel family and is the largest of its kind.
Shrew
Giant mole
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Orca
Minke whale
Sperm whale
This toothed whale is the largest of its kind, as it can grow to as much as 67 feet. It has a spermaceti organ located in its oddly shaped head, and early explorers once believed the organ contained sperm, hence its name.
Dall's porpoise
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California sea lion
This mammal has an elongated, torpedo-shaped body and versatile flippers, which can be used to help them walk on land and swim through water. On land, they are quite agile and can move faster than humans, and in water, they can swim as fast as 25 miles per hour.
Harp seal
Sea otter
Water bird
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Leatherback turtle
The leatherback turtle is the largest turtle in the world, and it has been known to weigh as much as 900 kilograms and grow up to two meters. This turtle gets its name from its shell that's leathery and soft, in contrast to other shells of sea turtles such as the loggerhead, which is hard.
Snapping turtle
Box turtle
Giant tortoise
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Polar bear
Giant beaver
Black bear
The American black bear is a large animal that can be found in Mexico, Canada and in many forested areas of North America. Its many coats of rugged bluish gray or bluish black fur of help to keep it snug during the cold winter season.
Grizzly bear
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Red-winged blackbird
Kingfisher
Golden eagle
Osprey
The osprey is a large predator also known as the fish, river or sea hawk, as it is often seen swooping over waters to snatch its prey. It descends from 30-100 feet and uses its curved claws and the gripping pads on its feet to secure its catch.
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Red tick
Deer tick
The deer tick, also known as the black-legged tick, is an insect not much bigger than a seed that can cause ill health in humans. This deer tick is a transmitter of the Borrelia burgdorferi—the bacteria which causes the debilitating condition known as Lyme disease.
West Nile tick
Deadly ant
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Swordfish
Sturgeon
Barracuda
Blue marlin
The blue marlin is a large fish—in fact, one of the biggest worldwide—with females that have been known to weigh over 1,900 pounds and grow as long as fourteen feet. The blue marlin is whiteish or silverish on the bottom and blue on top, and it has a long, pointed dorsal fin and a spear-shaped jaw.
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Arachnipal
Daddy long legs
Black widow
Brown recluse spider
The brown recluse spider tends to live alone and has been spotted in the United States, in states like Texas and Kansas. This spider has six eyes, compared to other spiders, which have eight. Also, its abdomen is in one solid shade of brown and is covered in hair.
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Ferret
Mink
Least weasel
The least weasel is a small animal about the size of a mouse, with a tiny head, a long, slim body and short legs that may be white or brown. This weasel feeds on rodents such as bank voles and mice but may also consume small fish and insects if the opportunity presents itself.
Longmouse
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Fruit bat
Vampire bat
Little brown bat
The little brown bat is a small mammal that is 2.5-4 inches in length and often weighs less than an ounce. This bat tends to inhabit swampy areas and has been found in New Hampshire, Alaska, Arkansas and Georgia.
Lessar bat
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