About this quiz

The animal kingdom is full of surprises, from mammals that lay eggs to birds that can fly backwards. This quiz asks twenty questions about wild animals around the world, including cheetahs, koalas, polar bears and the platypus.

Some are well known and some will catch you out. Each answer comes with a short fact, so you'll finish with a few new things to tell your friends.

Answers explained

Show the answers (spoilers)

  1. Which is the only mammal that can truly fly?

    Bat. The others glide. Bats are the only mammals that flap their way into the air.

  2. What is a group of crows called?

    A murder. A parliament is a group of owls.

  3. What is the fastest land animal?

    Cheetah. Cheetahs can reach around 60 to 70 mph, but only in short bursts.

  4. What is a baby kangaroo called?

    Joey. A newborn joey is tiny, about the size of a jelly bean.

  5. Which bird can fly backwards?

    Hummingbird. Hummingbirds can also hover in one spot, beating their wings dozens of times a second.

  6. What colour is a polar bear’s skin?

    Black. Its fur isn’t really white either. Each hair is clear and hollow and reflects the light.

  7. Which is the largest animal that has ever lived?

    Blue whale. Blue whales are bigger than any dinosaur we know of.

  8. Which animal has fingerprints almost identical to a human’s?

    Koala. Koala prints are so similar that even experts struggle to tell them apart.

  9. Why are flamingos pink?

    Their food. Pigments in the algae and shrimp they eat turn their feathers pink. Chicks are grey.

  10. Which of these mammals lays eggs?

    Platypus. The platypus and the echidna are the only mammals that lay eggs.

  11. Which is the largest big cat?

    Tiger. Siberian tigers are the biggest of all, and large males can weigh up to 300 kg.

  12. How many legs does a spider have?

    8. Insects have six legs, which is one reason spiders aren’t insects.

  13. What is a group of lions called?

    A pride. The lionesses in a pride do most of the hunting.

  14. Which animal is known as the “ship of the desert”?

    Camel. Camels store fat in their humps, not water.

  15. Which is the tallest animal in the world?

    Giraffe. A giraffe’s long neck has just seven bones, the same number as ours.

  16. What do giant pandas mostly eat?

    Bamboo. A giant panda can spend more than 12 hours a day eating.

  17. Which animal can sleep for up to 22 hours a day?

    Koala. Their diet of eucalyptus leaves gives them very little energy.

  18. Which sea creature has no brain, heart or bones?

    Jellyfish. Jellyfish have been drifting through the oceans for over 500 million years.

  19. In which animal does the male give birth?

    Seahorse. The female lays her eggs in the male’s pouch, and he carries them until they hatch.

  20. What is the largest living bird?

    Ostrich. Ostriches also lay the biggest eggs of any living bird, each weighing well over a kilo.