Skip to main content
Pink axolotl, tardigrades, crustacean and mantis shrimp in glowing circles against a cosmic and forest backdrop
Photo: QuizFury
NatureEasy

Extraordinary Animals

Which land animal hits 120 km/h? Which bird flies backwards? How long can a snail sleep without waking? 10 questions on the animal kingdom's records, from raw speed to bizarre anatomical superpowers.

10

Questions

1

Minute

Tip: Use keys 1-4 to answer quickly

The 10 quiz questions

Question 1 : What is the fastest land animal?

Possible answers:

  • The cheetah
  • The antelope
  • The lion
  • The greyhound

Explanation: The cheetah can reach 120 km/h in just 3 seconds, making it the fastest land animal. However, it can only maintain this speed for short distances (about 500 meters).

Question 2 : Which bird is capable of flying backwards?

Possible answers:

  • The swift
  • The sparrow
  • The hummingbird
  • The swallow

Explanation: The hummingbird is the only bird capable of flying backwards, hovering, and even flying upside down. Its wings beat up to 80 times per second!

Question 3 : What is the largest animal that has ever existed on Earth?

Possible answers:

  • The brachiosaurus
  • The blue whale
  • The African elephant
  • The T-Rex

Explanation: The blue whale can measure up to 30 meters and weigh 170 tons. It is larger than all known dinosaurs, including the largest sauropods.

Question 4 : How many hearts does an octopus have?

Possible answers:

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4

Explanation: The octopus has three hearts: one main heart that pumps blood to the body, and two branchial hearts that send blood to the gills for oxygenation.

Question 5 : Which animal cannot jump?

Possible answers:

  • The giraffe
  • The kangaroo
  • The elephant
  • The hare

Explanation: The elephant cannot jump: its enormous weight and the structure of its legs do not allow it to lift all four feet off the ground at the same time.

Question 6 : Which animal can sleep standing up?

Possible answers:

  • The horse
  • The sheep
  • The pig
  • The cow

Explanation: The horse can sleep standing up thanks to a locking system in its joints. It only lies down for deep REM sleep.

Question 7 : How long can a snail sleep continuously?

Possible answers:

  • 1 month
  • 6 months
  • 1 year
  • 3 years

Explanation: The snail can enter dormancy (estivation) for up to 3 years to survive unfavorable conditions like drought or extreme cold.

Question 8 : Which animal has the longest tongue relative to its body?

Possible answers:

  • The giraffe
  • The chameleon
  • The giant anteater
  • The anteater

Explanation: The chameleon has a tongue that can measure up to twice its body length. It can be projected in a fraction of a second to catch insects.

Question 9 : What is the only mammal capable of active flight?

Possible answers:

  • Colugo
  • Flying squirrel
  • Sugar glider
  • Bat

Explanation: The bat is the only mammal capable of active flight thanks to its membrane wings. Flying squirrels only glide.

Question 10 : Which animal has fingerprints most similar to those of humans?

Possible answers:

  • Chimpanzee
  • Orangutan
  • Koala
  • Gorilla

Explanation: Koalas have fingerprints so similar to ours that they can even fool forensic experts. This is a case of convergent evolution.

This quiz has been played 0 times

Similar quizzes

Wild Mammals - Giants and Predators
Play
Nature
Easy

Wild Mammals - Giants and Predators

Speed records, off-the-charts weight, unexpected venom and surprising reproduction: ten questions on the most extreme behaviours and abilities in the mammal kingdom. Can you tell fact from fiction?

1 min
Remarkable Trees
Play
Nature
Easy

Remarkable Trees

Hyperion, the tallest tree in the world, peaks at 115.92 m. Methuselah is close to 4,850 years old. Which African giant stores up to 120,000 litres of water in its trunk? Which living fossil is nicknamed the tree of forty crowns? Which conifer loses its needles in winter? A quiz on record-breaking trees, their heights, ages and blossoms.

1 min60%
Extreme Weather Phenomena
Play
Nature
Easy

Extreme Weather Phenomena

Which scale ranks tornadoes from EF0 to EF5? Which equatorial current returns every 2 to 7 years? 10 questions on storms, winds and the instruments that measure them.

1 min90%
Birds of the World: Feathers and Beaks
Play
Nature
Easy

Birds of the World: Feathers and Beaks

The largest living bird, the seabird that dives more than 500 metres deep, the widest wingspan in the world, the bird that is the symbol of France, and the one that flies backwards. 10 questions on the feathers, beaks and records of the bird world.

1 min