Endangered Animals Quiz: Test Your Knowledge And Learn New Facts

Natália G.R. de Mello holds doctorate and masters degress in environmental science and works as a contributor for 8 Billion Trees.Written by Natalia Mello

Quizzes Tests | October 3, 2024

A woman thinking quizzically about endangered animals and how to save them.

Due to habitat loss (deforestation), toxic pollution, fast-spreading diseases, poaching, wildlife trafficking, climate change, and other threats, endangered animals are having a tough time!

How much do you know about these endangered species?

Test your knowledge on curious facts about some of the world’s most famous using this endangered animals quiz!

 

Question 1) This endangered animal has carnivorous teeth, but mainly eats plants and fruits. It also likes to lick copper and iron. What animal is it?

Cougar
Panda
Hyena
Giraffe
  • Scientists have found that pandas have a taste for copper and iron, besides their love for bamboo.1

Question 2) Although tigers are not the fastest animal on Earth, they can run quite quickly over short distances. How fast can a tiger sprint?

35 km/hour (22 mph)
40 km/hour (25 mph)
60 km/hour (37 mph)
72 km/hour (45 mph)
  • That is about half the speed the fastest land animal, the cheetah, can run!2,3  

Question 3) What endangered species is the tallest flying bird in North America?

Andean Condor
Harpy Eagle
California Condor
Whooping Crane
  • Whooping cranes can be as tall as the actor Danny DeVito; they are five feet tall!4 

Question 4) During the 1900s, whaling drove blue whales to the cusp of extinction. The weight of a blue whale’s tongue is equal to the weight of ______.

An elephant
A tiger
A fox
A hippopotamus
  • Whalers have decimated these beautiful creatures for their oil. Blue whales are the largest animal on Earth, so their tongue is pretty hefty!5 

Question 5) Asian elephants play a crucial role in the ecosystems they inhabit. Why does the environment need these animals?

A baby Asian elephant splashing in the water during a bath in the river, with an 8 Billion Trees watermark.

Their dung fertilizes the soil
Their dung helps disperse seeds of native species
They control vegetation growth
All of the above
  • Feeding on natural vegetation, elephants help to limit its growth – much like a gardener. When the food becomes ‘waste,’ these charismatic animals disperse seeds, renovating ecosystems and restoring areas, and fertilizing the soil.6 

Question 6) Sea otters’ eating habits help to limit the sea urchin population. Why is that important?

Big populations of sea urchins make beaches dirty
Sea urchins can overgraze kelp forests, disrupting the marine ecosystem
Sea urchins compete with humans for fish
None of the above
  • Although some people fear sea urchins, these animals do not make beaches dirty. However, when their population is not controlled, sea urchins can significantly impact kelp forests, which hosts many species.7

Question 7) This animal’s favorite food is blue sheep. What animal is it?

Blue sheep do not exist
Fox
Snow leapord
Wolf
  •  Although blue-colored sheep indeed do not exist, blue sheep are real and a major part of a Snow Leopard’s diet.8 

Question 8) True or False? Gorillas’ diet is similar to that of hedgehogs.

True
False
  •  Like hedgehogs, gorillas are mostly herbivorous (eating only plants)!9

Question 9) What endangered animal likes to sleep in the bodies of its prey?

Blue Macaw
Maned Wolf
Tasmanian Devil
Jaguar
  • That is a weird eating habit these animals have: they fall asleep inside of carcasses only to continue eating as soon as they wake up.10

Question 10) Humans share about 97% of orangutans’ DNA. What does the word orangutan mean?

Guardian of the forest
Human of the forest
Warrior of the forest
Son of the Forest
  • The word orangutans comes from the junction of ‘orang’ and ‘hutan’, which in Malay mean ‘human’ and ‘forest’, respectively.11

Take Another Quiz:

References

1Ou, N. (2021, 06 29). 13 Interesting Facts About Giant Pandas. Retrieved 07 28, 2021, from www.chinahighlights.com: https://www.chinahighlights.com/giant-panda/interesting-facts.htm

2Ranthambore National Park. (2018, 03 08). 20 Facts You Probably Didn’t Knew About Tigers. Retrieved 07 28, 2021, from www.ranthamborenationalpark.com: https://www.ranthamborenationalpark.com/blog/amazing-facts-about-tigers/

3Vaughan, D. (n.d.). The Fastest Animals on Earth. Retrieved 07 28, 2021, from www.britannica.com: https://www.britannica.com/list/the-fastest-animals-on-earth

4The National Wildlife Federation. (n.d.). Whooping Crane. Retrieved 07 28, 2021, from www.nwf.org: https://www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Birds/Whooping-Crane

5National Geographic. (n.d.). Blue whale. Retrieved 07 28, 2021, from www.nationalgeographic.com: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/facts/blue-whale

6Wildlife Conservation Society. (n.d.). Asian Elephant. Retrieved 07 28, 2021, from thailand.wcs.org: https://thailand.wcs.org/Wildlife/Asian-Elephant.aspx

7U.S. Department of the Interior . (2017, 09 25). 12 Facts About Otters for Sea Otters Awareness Week. Retrieved 07 28, 2021, from www.doi.gov: https://www.doi.gov/blog/12-facts-about-otters-sea-otter-awareness-week

8WWF-UK. (n.d.). Top 10 Facts About Snow Leopards. Retrieved 07 28, 2021, from www.wwf.org.uk: https://www.wwf.org.uk/learn/fascinating-facts/snow-leopards

9Shields, J. (2019, 11 26). 9 Big Hairy Facts About Gorillas . Retrieved 07 28, 2021, from animals.howstuffworks.com: https://animals.howstuffworks.com/mammals/gorilla.htm

10Watson, S. (n.d.). Fun Facts About Tasmanian Devils. Retrieved 07 28, 2021, from www.australia.com: https://www.australia.com/en/things-to-do/wildlife/tasmanian-devil-facts.html

11National Geographic. (n.d.). 10 Orangutan Facts. Retrieved 07 28, 2021, from www.natgeokids.com: https://www.natgeokids.com/uk/discover/animals/general-animals/ten-facts-about-orang-utans/