African Wildlife Quiz

by Dominic Chadbon, 3 March 2008

Think you know your African wildlife? Africa is a place with probably more iconic - and recognisable - wild animals than any other; let a couple of ex-safari guides test your knowledge of the continent's magical fauna from aardvark to zebra.

All the answers can be found either on the Go2Africa site or our African Wildlife Guide.

Award yourself a point for every right answer you get and then check your safari score at the end of the quiz.

1) The mountain gorilla (Gorilla gorilla berengei) of central Africa is critically endangered: how many individuals remain today?

a) Between 1 000 and 2 000

b) Between 600 and 700

c) Fewer than 500

2) Elephants have fantastically huge appetites: how much food can an adult pack away per day?

a) 500kg

b) 300kg

c) 200kg

3) Botswana's Okavango Delta is an enormous freshwater oasis in the arid Kalahari, but has relatively few species of fish - why is this?

a) The Delta has been extensively overfished by locals and tourists.

b) The waters of the Delta are very low in minerals and nutrients - there's not much fish food.

c) Fish can't adapt to the constantly changing water levels of the Delta.

4) Lions are commonly seen as Africa's top predator, but how successful are they at hunting? What percentage of their hunts end in a meal?

a) 75 percent

b) 40 percent

c) 20 percent

5) Everyone knows that South Africa's national animal is a springbok, but what's Zimbabwe's national animal?

a) The leopard

b) The black rhino

c) The sable antelope

6) What is 'pronking'?

a) The stiff-legged vertical bouncing performed by springboks.

b) The tuba-like territorial calls of a male hippo.

c) The tooth-cleaning technique used by certain birds to glean scraps of food from the open mouth of a crocodile.

7) What is a gerenuk?

a) An ocean fish found in southern African waters.

b) A long-necked East African antelope.

c) A large South African frog notorious for its monotonous croaking.

8) Which African lake is home to the most species of lake fish in the world?

a) Lake Malawi

b) Lake Tanganyika

c) Lake Victoria

9) How do many animals in the bone-dry Namib Desert get their water?

a) They dig deep into the dunes to find it.

b) They are able to drink sea water.

c) They allow coastal fog to condense on their bodies and then drink it.

10) A newborn zebra foal is shielded from other zebras for its first few days by its mother - why does she do this?

a) To protect her foal from aggressive adult zebras and lurking predators.

b) To imprint her unique striped pattern on her foal, thus ensuring recognition in a stripy world.

c) To keep her foal warm: heat loss is particularly marked among black and white animals.

11) Why is the white rhino so called?

a) It is usually a very pale grey colour, thanks to its habit of rolling in dust.

b) The word 'white' is derived from the Dutch word 'weit' meaning 'wide' and refers to its wide mouth, built for grazing.

c) It refers to the old hunting legend that the rhino's hide turns white after being shot.

12) What unusual behaviour is exhibited by the lions of Tanzania's Lake Manyara National Park?

a) They prey almost exclusively on the flamingos that are packed on the lake.

b) They are heavily disposed towards albinism - some 30 percent of them are white with pink eyes.

c) They often climb trees to escape tormenting plagues of flies.

13) How long can a crocodile go without food?

a) Six months

b) One year

c) Two years

14) It weighs in at a hefty 700kg and clicks as it walks ... it is Africa's biggest antelope - what is it?

a) The eland

b) The kudu

c) The roan

15) Which insect features heavily in the mythology of some African ethnic groups?

a) The preying mantis.

b) The dragonfly

c) The termite.

Now check your score:

0 - 5

Hmmm - we have to get you into the bush as soon as possible. Funnily enough we happen to know of a great site where you can check out your safari options ...

6 - 10

Okay, so you know a bit about African wildlife and probably own a khaki shirt or two. We still see a gap in the market though - there's nothing more dangerous than half-knowing a subject (especially one that prowls, growls or tears things out of the ground with its trunk). So here's a thought: book yourself a safari and upgrade your status to 'expert'.

11 - 15

Impressive! You know what you're talking about, can happily join the rangers in the pub for cold beers after that game drive and that khaki shirt is looking well worn. But you might be running low on tall stories, so book a safari now (you knew we'd say that, didn't you?) and bag some new ones.

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