Animal Quiz

Answer: giraffe. The giraffe, so its blood can reach all the way up to its brain.

Answer: Their diet. They eat shrimp rich in pigments. Yes, they watch their diet too.

Answer: all three. Large herbivores can doze standing up thanks to a limb 'locking' system. Handy when predators are prowling. Horses also sleep lying down for deep sleep, but beware: a horse lying down too long is a problem.

Answer: elephant. The elephant is the only mammal incapable of jumping. Too heavy, and its tendons don't allow it. It always keeps at least one foot on the ground. Impressive given the size of those feet.

Answer: hummingbird. The hummingbird is the only bird capable of flying in all directions: forward, backward, sideways and hovering. Its wings beat 50 to 80 times per second. To sustain this, its heart can beat up to 1,200 times per minute.

Answer: asp viper. In metropolitan France, the asp viper is the animal most likely to cause serious envenomation. It is responsible for virtually all fatal bites, though these remain very rare (1 to 2 deaths per year on average).

Answer: orca. Orcas (killer whales) are the only natural predators of the great white shark. They often attack in groups, flipping it upside down to immobilise it (tonic immobility) then tearing out its liver, very rich in energy. After such an incident, white sharks leave the area for several months.

Answer: owl. The owl can turn its head up to 270° thanks to a particular structure of its vertebrae.

Answer: beaver. A beaver's incisors grow continuously and are worn down by gnawing.

Answer: It regulates populations of snakes and harmful insects.. The mongoose is an agile and opportunistic predator. It plays a key role in regulating snake populations (including venomous species like cobras) and harmful insects (scorpions, rodents, etc.). Thanks to its speed and partial immunity to certain venoms, it limits the proliferation of these animals, contributing to its ecosystem's balance.

Answer: 18. That's just nature for you: 5 pads on each front paw and 4 on each back paw.

Answer: about 2500. A snail has a radula, a tongue-like organ covered with thousands of tiny teeth. Nobody thanks it for eating the salad, though.

Answer: box jellyfish. The Australian box jellyfish (Chironex fleckeri) is considered the most venomous animal in the world. Its venom can kill a human in minutes. Its tentacles can measure up to 3 metres long.

Answer: ant. Proportionally, ants have the most developed brain in the animal kingdom, representing about 15% of their total mass. The human brain accounts for only about 2% of body mass. In absolute terms, the dolphin remains one of the most intelligent animals.

Answer: 3 to 5 days. The male mosquito lives very briefly (3 to 5 days) and does not bite: it feeds only on nectar. It's the female that bites to obtain the blood proteins needed for egg-laying. She can live up to 2 months.

Answer: common porpoise. The common porpoise takes its name from the Old French 'mers porc' (sea pig), due to its rounded snout and stocky shape. Discreet and solitary, it is often confused with the dolphin, but it is smaller and has no elongated beak.

Answer: giraffe. The giraffe sleeps the least of all mammals: between 30 minutes and 2 hours per day, often in several short sequences. It sometimes sleeps standing up, and deep sleep phases (lying down, head resting on its flank) are very brief and risky.

Answer: swift. The swift can remain in flight for several months without landing.

Answer: box jellyfish. Its venom acts on the human heart within minutes.

Answer: colossal squid. The colossal squid (Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni) has the largest eyes known in the animal kingdom, reaching 27 to 30 cm in diameter, about the size of a basketball. This helps it detect faint light in the deep abyss and spot predators such as sperm whales.