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When planning a quiz night, natural history and animal lovers know that animal trivia questions can't be missed out. These trivia questions add variety to the quiz, even if animals aren't the main topic. These are great questions to ask because they test the participants on their biology, zoology and even sometimes chemistry knowledge.
There are lots of different icebreaker games to choose from but a quiz is fantastic because it enables people to compete with each other on their own or in a team for a bit of healthy and friendly competition. If you're searching for some awesome animal trivia questions, you'll find exactly what you're looking for below.
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6 Best Animal Trivia Questions
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Forget the rest, these are the best - if you want some animal trivia questions that you can use in a hurry, you've come to the right place. Choose the awesome questions below to test people on their biological knowledge.
Here are the 6 best animal trivia questions:
1. In which of the following animals is respiration done by skin?
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Answer
Frog
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Frogs need to stay moist otherwise they can't breathe.
2. Rhinoceros have horns that are made of what?
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Answer
Hair
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The horns are made of keratin which is the same substance that makes our hair.
3. How long does a sloth digest its food?
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Answer
Two weeks
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Sloths are known for moving very slowly. It takes 30 days for them to digest one leaf!
4. Lemurs are only native to one country, which one is it?
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Answer
Madagascar
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If you've seen the animated movie you might know this. Lemurs may have floated there on bunches of vegetation and thrived in isolation.
5. What is the UK’s only venomous snake?
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Answer
Adder
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The UK doesn't have many snakes so it's rare to see adders in the wild. Despite it being venomous, only 14 fatalities have been reported since 1876. However, do not underestimate its bite and seek immediate help.
6. Which has the thickest fur of any mammal?
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Answer
Sea otters
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This is a surprising fact as you would probably think a land mammal would have the thickest fur. They have been hunted extensively for their dense and water resistant furs endangering their species.
6 Fun Animal Trivia Questions
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While some quizzes might be competitive and serious, others are more lighthearted. For fun quizzes, you'll need fun trivia questions - the kind that make you smile. Choose these fun animal questions to amuse the participants of your quiz.
Here are 6 fun animal trivia questions:
7. The age of a lion can be determined by its?
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Nose
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The nose changes color throughout the lion's life.
8. Which mammal has the most powerful bite in the world?
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Hippopotamus
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They aren't designed to tear meat like a lion but they have large and powerful jaws. Considering these animals are herbivores, their chewing power is up to 1,800 psi. They are territorial, can open their mouths 180 degrees and have been reported to killing an estimated 500 people per year in Africa.
9. What counts for 99 percent of a panda’s diet?
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Bamboo
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Bamboo is toxic to humans if eaten raw.
10. Where is the only place on their bodies that dogs can sweat?
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Under their feet
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Dogs can only sweat from the pads on their paws, not through the rest of their skin.
11. Which flightless bird is the emblem of New Zealand?
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Answer
Kiwi
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New Zealand is the only place that cute Kiwi birds live.
12. A baby puffin is called what?
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6 Funny Animal Trivia Questions
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Although quizzes are competitive, they can also be super fun. By including funny trivia questions you can make the competitors laugh and break the ice. If you're using the quiz as a way for people to get to know each other, making sure that the quiz is funny can help everyone to relax.
Here are 6 funny animal trivia questions:
13. What is the collective noun for giraffes?
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Tower
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This fact is amusing because giraffes are so tall. A mature giraffe's average height ranges from 14 to 18 feet tall.
14. In Minnesota, it is illegal to tease what type of animal?
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Skunks
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No one wants to smell skunk spray so its no wonder that you're not allowed to annoy these stinky animals.
15. What is a crossbreed between a zebra and a donkey called?
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Zonkey
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You would have got the right idea if you'd said debra. A zonkey named Pippi was born on July 21, 2019 in Chestatee Wildlife Preserve. Her mother is a donkey while her father is a zebra.
16. What is a female elephant called?
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Answer
A cow
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It's always a little confusing when one animal has the same name as another. Interesting fact, a male elephant is called a bull.
17. African penguins are also commonly referred to as what?
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Answer
Jackass penguin
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This is because they make a noise similar to a donkey braying. Early European fur sealers called these penguins beach donkeys when they landed at the coast of South Africa.
18. What bird can't move their eyeballs?
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Answer
Owls
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Although they can't move their eyeballs, owls can move their head almost 180 degrees.
5 Easy Animal Trivia Questions
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If you're planning a fun trivia night for people who aren't great at quizzes, you'll want to make sure that you include easy trivia questions so that people who don't know much about animals don't feel left out.
Here are 5 easy animal trivia questions:
19. Who is the world’s fastest land animal?
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Answer
Cheetah
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Almost everyone knows that the cheetah is the fastest animal. The fastest record speed of a cheetah is 120 km/hour.
20. Which bird can learn to mimic human speech?
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Parrots
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You may have heard a parrot sound exactly like a human. Parrots have a keen sense of hearing and a voice box called the syrinx that allows them to reproduce sounds.
21. Natural pearls are found in what sea creatures?
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Answer
Oysters
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Pearls often form around a grain of sand inside the oyster shell.
22. What animal is considered to be the symbol of America?
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Bald Eagle
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The bald eagle often features in imagery relating to the USA.
23. What type of animal is a Russian Blue?
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Cat
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Russian Blue cats really look more grey than blue.
5 Animal Trivia Questions for Kids
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Trivia questions for kids are often different to trivia for adults. Kids' questions are usually much easier, incorporating facts that kids normally learn at school. These awesome trivia questions about the natural world will test kids' knowledge without being too difficult.
Here are 5 animal trivia questions for kids:
24. A group of kittens is called what?
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Kindle
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This lovely alliterative collective noun is likely to surprise kids.
25. What color is octopus blood?
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Answer
Blue
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Many people know that octopuses have blue blood but it might surprise kids who haven't heard this fact. Its blue blood comes from hemocyanin. These are proteins that transport oxygen from its lungs to the cells.
26. What group of animals is known as a “flamboyance”?
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Flamingos
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When flamingos flap their pink wings, they often do look quite flamboyant.
27. Which insect does a caterpillar grow into?
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Butterfly
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It's shocking to find out that little caterpillars can become big colorful butterflies.
28. Which insects cause malaria?
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Mosquitoes
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Only female mosquitoes can transmit malaria to people when they bite them to suck their blood.
5 Animal Trivia Questions for Adults
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When it comes to creating quizzes, it can help to include a variety of different questions ranging from easy questions to difficult trivia questions for adults. These tricky questions are challenging and super fun to answer.
Here are 5 animal trivia questions for adults:
29. How Do Bats Use Sound to Locate Prey?
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Echolocation
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By using sound waves, bats can hunt and catch their prey.
30. What type of animal is a Tasmanian Devil?
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Marsupial
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These small mammals are only found on the island of Tasmania near Australia.
31. The male of what species testicles explode on mating and then dies?
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Honeybee
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This is a very dramatic way to die, especially for an insect which only lives for around 150 days.
32. What is strange about the reproductive system of male snakes?
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Answer
They have two reproductive organs
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They are found side by side under the tail.
33. Humans share how many percent of DNA to slugs?
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0.7
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It's a good job that we don't share the genes that allow slugs to create slime.
6 Hard Animal Trivia Questions
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Some people just love to be challenged and when you're creating a quiz you should include at least a few hard trivia questions to help please them. Everyone loves to take a bit of time to mull over a particularly difficult question, making quizzes with tricky questions incredibly enjoyable.
Here are 6 hard animal trivia questions:
34. What is the oldest surviving mammal on the planet?
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Answer
Monotremes
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Echidnas and Platypus are egg-laying mammals which live in Australia. The oldest fossil record of these animals are 220 million years ago.
35. Which animal has the shortest pregnancy?
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Answer
Opossum
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Baby opossums grow for just 18 days before being born.
36. How many bones does a shark have?
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Answer
0
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Sharks are made of cartilage rather than bones.
37. How many species of penguins are there across the southern hemisphere?
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Answer
17-19
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There are a lot more species of penguins than you might first think. Some of these are tiny blue penguins, emperor penguins and the African penguins.
38. What species has the largest eyes in the animal kingdom?
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Answer
Colossal squid
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The eyes of colossal squids are a similar size to a soccer ball - – diameter of about 30cm. It is sometimes called the Antarctic squid as it lives in the deep sea surrounding Antarctica. Not only does it has the largest eyes, it is also the largest invertebrate.
39. What is the largest living organism?
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Answer
Aspen grove
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Each of the thousands of trees share the same root system and is genetically identical.
7 Random Animal Trivia Questions
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If you want to keep the contestants on their toes, you should include random trivia questions and answers in your quiz. Random questions will surprise the people answering the questions and offer them cool little facts that they can impress other people with.
Here are 7 random animal trivia questions:
40. What kind of a creature is a bustard?
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Answer
Bird
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Even though bustards are huge these impressive birds are able to fly.
41. What four-letter word is the correct term for a rabbit’s tail?
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Answer
Scut
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It's unlikely you'll ever need to use this word but it's interesting to know that there is a specific term for a rabbit's tail.
42. What is the fastest bird in the world when in its hunting dive?
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Answer
Peregrine Falcon
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These birds live on all continents with the exception of Antarctica. When it dives as it is hunting, its speed can reach up to 320 km/hour.
43. What is the fertilized egg of duck is called?
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Answer
Balut
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It isn't common knowledge that fertilized eggs can have a specific name. This is a popular street food in the Philippines but it is also consumed in Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, China, Laos and Cambodia.
44. What is the size of kangaroo babies when they are born?
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Only 1 inch
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The babies of kangaroos are born and then make their way into the pouch where they stay for a long time as they grow.
45. What is the most common training command taught to dogs?
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“Sit”
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Teaching a dog to sit can be useful to help keep it out of danger and to make sure that it is patient when it needs to be.
46. What is the average number of spiders per acre in green areas?
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Answer
50, 000
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There is a shocking number of spiders in the wild.
4 Music About Animals Trivia Questions
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A crossover category is always fun in a quiz and you can make an animal-themed quiz a little more exciting by asking questions about music that references animals. Music trivia questions and answers are enjoyable to answer and will test the knowledge of the quiz participants.
There are lots of songs and bands which have animals that feature in their song titles and band names. If the contestants of your quiz are music fans, they'll love guessing the answers to these questions.
Here are 4 music about animals trivia questions:
47. Paul McCartney has written many songs about love and relationships, but which one was actually about a dog?
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Answer
Martha My Dear
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Martha was an Old English Sheepdog which Paul McCartney owned.
48. What 'out of this world' band remade Michael Jackson's song "Smooth Criminal"?
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Answer
Alien Ant Farm
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This version of the song was released in 2001.
49. Which family group released the 1972 US Billboard Number 14 single "Crazy Horses" from their album of the same name?
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Answer
The Osmond Brothers
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This is one of the most memorable songs from this famous group.
50. Which group recorded "Lizard Love"?
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Answer
Aerosmith
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Lizard Love was released in 2003 and was part of the soundtrack to the movie called Rugrats Go Wild!
5 Animal Movie Trivia Questions
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Animal-themed trivia nights or quizzes don't need to focus solely on biology. Asking movie trivia questions which have an animal theme can make the quiz super exciting and more relevant to pop culture. When you think of the number of movies which have animals in, you're likely to feel overwhelmed. But these questions are a little obscure which will really make the participants of your quiz consider whether they know the correct answer.
Here are 5 animal movie trivia questions:
51. What was the name of the giant spider that appeared in 'Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets'?
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Aragog
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Aragog was a giant spider who frightened Ron Weasley in particular.
52. In the Harry Potter film franchise, what does the Hogwarts motto “Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus” mean?
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Answer
Never tickle a sleeping dragon
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Anyone who knows the answer to this is a true Harry Potter fan.
53. What type of fish is Nemo?
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A clownfish
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Clownfish have beautiful orange and white stripes which make them stand out among the anemones and coral where they live.
54. What disaster film gave us the immortal line, "I gotta go, we got cows."?
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Answer
Twister
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Twister was released in 1996 and is an exciting story about storm-chasers and tornados.
55. Walt Disney's famous deer was named what?
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Answer
Bambi
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Bambi is a classic Disney movie which was released in 1942, much longer ago than you might expect.
10 Animal History Trivia Questions
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Are the participants of your quiz into history? If so, they'll love history trivia questions which have an animal theme as they'll get to learn something new while enjoying the quiz. It's fun to guess the answers to these questions, which are often surprising and always interesting.
Here are 10 animal history trivia questions:
56. The phrase "it's raining cats and dogs" originated in what century?
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Answer
17th in England
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This phrase is still sometimes used in the UK today when it's raining really hard outside.
57. During World War II, what animals did the Americans try to train to drop bombs?
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Answer
Bats
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Lots of animals were trained during the world wars but the inclusion of bats seems like a step too far.
58. Which animal’s name comes from the ancient Greek for “Horse of the river”?
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Answer
Hippopotamus
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Hippos don't look a lot like horses so this is an unexpected answer.
59. Which dinosaur had 15 horns?
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Answer
Kosmoceratops
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This dinosaur's head was covered in horns which made it look like it would be a little dangerous if you came into contact with it.
60. How many dogs survived in the Titanic disaster?
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Answer
Three
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It wasn't just humans who survived falling into the freezing water when the Titanic hit an iceberg.
61. Which animal has the longest lifespan?
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Arctic whale
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It is thought that Bowhead whales can live for over 200 years which is an incredibly long time for an animal.
62. The increasing scarcity of elephants and rhinos led to a 1989 ban on which substance?
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Ivory
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Elephant and rhino horns were used in the Ivory trade to make everything from ornaments to piano keys.
63. What did ancient Egyptians do to mourn the deaths of their cats?
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Answer
They shave their eyebrows
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This is a tradition that should definitely make a comeback. In ancient Egypt, cats are believed to have a divine connection with the goddess Bastet.
64. Camelopard is an old English name for which animal?
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Giraffe
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Giraffes look a little similar to camels and leopards, so this name makes a small amount of sense.
65. What kind of animal did Cleopatra use to kill herself?
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A snake
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It is said that she allowed a poisonous snake to bite her in order to commit suicide.
4 Animals In The Bible Trivia Questions and Answers
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Are you looking for unusual animal-based questions? If so, these Bible trivia questions and answers could be exactly what you need for your quiz. You can test the bible knowledge of your quiz participants while also testing their animal knowledge as some of these questions mention obscure stories from the Bible.
Here are 4 animals in the bible trivia questions and answers:
66. What type of insect did John the Baptist eat in the desert?
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Locusts
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Locusts feature several times in Bible stories.
67. How many people did Jesus feed with five loaves of bread and two fish?
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About 5000 men
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Jesus was able to make this food stretch enough to feed all of the people.
68. Which bird does Job say is lacking in wisdom, due to the fact she leaves her eggs on the floor?
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Ostrich
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There aren't many birds that create nests or lay their eggs on the ground rather than in a tree. According to experts, these birds leave their eggs for additional warmth. An ostrich egg is equivalent to 2 dozens chicken eggs. It is comical to imagine an ostrich hatching an egg that size on a tree.
69. What bird could poor people use for sacrifices if they could not afford lambs?
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Answer
Pigeons
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Although pigeons are much smaller, they can be easily found in the wild compared to lambs which are usually farmed.
5 Halloween Animals Trivia
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Although Halloween only comes once a year, you can ask Halloween trivia at any time. Challenge your quiz participants by choosing some of these unusual Halloween and animal trivia questions which will teach them about the traditions of the Halloween holiday.
Here are 5 Halloween animals trivia questions:
70. Black cats are known for what superstitious belief?
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Answer
Bad luck
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It is said to be very bad luck if a black cat crosses your path, although many people keep black cats as pets.
71. What mammal can fly and is associated with Halloween?
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Answer
Bat
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The bat is an important symbol of Halloween - almost as well-known as black cats and spiders.
72. What was the first feature-length werewolf movie?
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Answer
Werewolf of London released by Universal Pictures in 1935
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This horror movie starred Henry Hull as the werewolf.
73. In Medieval Europe, owls were believed to be what?
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Answer
Witches
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People believed that witches turned themselves into owls and flew around before changing back.
5 Animal Thanksgiving Trivia Questions
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When we think of Thanksgiving we normally think of turkey, but there is much more to this bird than you might expect. These Thanksgiving trivia questions will test your quiz participants while also teaching them more about this super cool animal.
Here are 5 animal Thanksgiving trivia questions:
74. Three thousand years back, the Native Americans domesticated Turkey for what?
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Feathers
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Although you might think that they domesticated turkeys to eat them, it was so that they could use their feathers.
75. How many feathers does a grown turkey have?
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Answer
3500
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If playing a group quiz, there should be a bonus point for getting the closest to this number.
76. What food was present at the first Thanksgiving but is rarely eaten at Thanksgiving now?
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Answer
Seafood
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There were lots of different types of food present at the first Thanksgiving.
77. What part of the turkey is used for good luck ritual with your best friend during Thanksgiving?
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Answer
Wishbone
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Traditionally, two people grab the wishbone with their smallest finger and pull. The person who gets the largest piece of wishbone when it cracks then makes a silent wish.
78. What's the natural lifespan of a turkey?
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Answer
Up to 15 years
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Most turkeys live between three and five years but they have been known to live much longer than this.
6 Christmas Animals Trivia Questions
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How much do you know about Christmas animals? Chances are that there is a lot for both you and your quiz contestants to learn. Choose these Christmas trivia questions if you really want to test your participants as some of these questions are obscure and are sure to make them think hard.
Here are 6 Christmas animals trivia questions:
79. What name is given to small sausages wrapped in bacon, a staple at a British Christmas dinner?
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Answer
Pigs in blankets
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Many people feel that a Christmas dinner is not complete unless there are pigs in blankets present.
80. When were reindeer fully domesticated?
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Answer
3000 BC
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Reindeer are one of the only species of deer to have been domesticated fully.
81. In Puerto Rico, children leave grass under their beds for which Christmas animal?
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Answer
Camel
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The grass is to feed the camels of the wise men. They hope that they will be left gifts in return.
82. What kind of animal does the Grinch have for a pet?
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Answer
Dog
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People who have seen the movie will remember the dog which is called Max.
83. Which of Santa’s reindeer is named after another animal?
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Answer
Vixen (a fox)
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Only one of the reindeers is named after an animal.
84. How many animals were delivered on the Twelfth Day of Christmas in the Carol?
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Answer
23
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It may take a bit of time to count them all up but there are 23 animals, the majority of them birds.
How To Pick the Best Animal Trivia Questions and Answers
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Choosing animal trivia questions shouldn't be a difficult thing to do. Follow the tips below and you'll be able to choose the very best questions every time.
Here's how to pick the best animal trivia questions and answers:
1. Who is Participating?
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It can make a big difference to consider who will be answering your questions. If the contestants are children, you will want to ask easier, more amusing questions. However, if the people taking part are adults, you can choose more obscure questions.
2. How difficult should it be?
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Is your quiz just a fun way to pass the time or is it a serious affair? Will there be a prize for the winner? If you're organizing an informal trivia night between friends, you might choose easy and lighthearted questions. But if there are prizes or clout involved, you'll want to make the questions harder.
3. What's the occasion?
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If your quiz is taking place at a certain time, for example near Halloween or Christmas, it can be nice to include questions which focus on those holidays. But if there is no occasion, you're free to choose any type of question that you think your contestants will enjoy.
More Awesome Ice Breaker Games and Questions
If you're hoping for a little help with games that you can play with other people and questions that you can ask them, just take a look below:
- If you like going to bars, you might enjoy these bar trivia questions which you can ask other people to see how much they know.
- These brilliant never have I ever questions are perfect for finding out more about someone and really getting to know them.
- Trivia questions are fun to answer, but they're even more fun when they're about the 80s. This list of fantastic 80s trivia questions and answers will certainly test your knowledge.
In Conclusion
These great trivia questions should have given you lots of inspiration. There are loads of animal questions to ask when planning your next quiz. An animal quiz can be one of the icebreaker games that really gets people enjoying themselves.
