Today is World Animal Day and courtesy of Charlotte Sebag-Montefiore, we’ve got an animal-themed quiz to test your animal knowledge!
Below are ten riddles describing ten different animals… can you guess them all?
Don’t look yet, but the answers are at the end of the post…
Number One -
I’m born in white and shiny eggs
with others, small and sweet;
bigger ones may chew us up,
they think we’re good to eat.
You may feel safe upon the shore
or even up a tree;
I run much faster than you think,
no-one’s safe with me.
Number Two –
I am a clever whatsitcalled,
a cousin near to you,
I’m curious and have no tail,
no more than humans do.
We like to live in groups, you know,
the women babysit;
the young ones try our patience,
but it’s rare that they are hit.
Number Three –
I am the biggest in the world
at twenty foot or more,
with unique patterns on my coat
that no one’s seen before.
The spots go dark when I am old,
I do have such a lot;
I live somewhere with grass to eat
and where it’s really hot.
Number Four –
My teeth are in my stomach
– my goodness, fancy that!
So do be careful, won’t you,
or my tum will eat your hat.
I could be white or yellow,
I’ve cousins who are blue.
But put me in the cooking pot
and I’ll turn red for you.
Number Five -
I’m really very clever,
my memory’s very long.
I like to live within my herd;
I’m beautiful and strong.
I like the leaves on tops of trees,
they’re clean and very sweet .
I like fresh grass untrampled on;
I do not care for meat.
Number Six –
I have some cousins who are whales,
I like the water too.
It cools me down when I’m too hot,
it does the same for you!
I am so much in the water
that I have a funny head.
My eyes and nose are at the top
yes – that is what I said!
Number Seven –
You’ve seen me in the country,
I don’t live in the town.
Some of us, at any rate,
have two horns for a crown.
We’re herbivores, and ruminate.
We like to chew the cud.
Our stomach has four different parts.
We do not mind the mud!
Number Eight –
A kind of mongoose, hey, that’s me
I can be wild or tame.
I like to catch the rats and mice
the taste is much the same!
My eyes are large with darkish fur,
my face is long not round.
My long sharp claws dig out my home
in burrows underground.
Number Nine –
People thought we were a hoax,
that we could not be true.
We’re monotremes, for we lay eggs
though mammals, just like you!
Except you have no fur or beak,
you cannot seal your nose.
You have no webbing on your feet
but only little toes!
Number Ten –
We’ve many different cousins,
the otter, wolverine,
weasels and some others
that you may not have seen.
I’m stocky and my legs are small,
you may see me at night.
My head is long, my ears are short,
my face is black and white!
Think you’ve figured out all ten animals? Scroll down to find out…
Thanks to Charlotte Sebag-Montefiore for the riddles from our first two titles: Who Am I? A Book of Riddles and More Animal Riddles – Who Am I? which are both available now in paperback and on the Kindle Store.
And here are your answers:
Number One – Crocodile
Number Two - Chimpanzee
Number Three – Giraffe
Number Four – Lobster
Number Five – Elephant
Number Six – Hippo
Number Seven – Cow
Number Eight - Meerkat
Number Nine – Platypus
Number Ten – Badger
How many did you guess correctly?
Happy World Animal Day!