Africa is famous for its abundance and variety of incredible wildlife and habitats.
From the largest land mammal, to the heaviest flying bird, the continent is full of amazing facts.
We've put together a handful of questions for you to test your African wildlife knowledge. Scroll down the page below to challenge yourself in our mini-quiz:
(Scroll slowly, the answers follow each individual question). Like it? Share it! Test your friends 😀
Q1: Which of these features would help you identify between a male and female giraffe?
A: Different coloured tongues
B: Bald patches on their horns
C: A more pronounced tassel of hair at the tip of their tail
a tower of giraffe making their way through the Okavango Delta - Toby Pheasant
The answer is B - males have bald horns! Giraffe horns are not actually called 'horns' but ossicones - both female and male giraffe have them on the top of their heads.
Ossicones are formed from ossified cartilage and are covered in skin. Males use these ossicones as weapons whilst duelling and over time they lose their hair!
Q2: What's the heaviest flying bird in the world?
A: Kori Bustard
B: Ostrich
C: Martial Eagle
A Kori Bustard - Chris Stenger
With males weighing up to 20kg, the Kori Bustard is the heaviest flying bird in the world. These incredible birds have wingspans of up to 2.5ft (75cm), but, being ground-dwelling, they rarely fly!
Q3: Which of these hippo facts is incorrect?
A: Whales are hippos' closest living cousins
B: Hippos cannot swim
C: Hippos have pink milk
Hippos basking in weeds in the Lower Zambezi, Zambia - James Handley
Incredibly, both A & B are correct, meaning that C is the incorrect answer. Their milk is white, just like all other mammals.
Hippos produce incredibly rich milk to fatten up their young. For a long time, people did think that their milk was pink, however, it was actually due to their milk mixing with the natural deep red 'sunscreen' substance that their skin excretes which caused confusion.
You can read all about the amazing hippo in our blog here.
Q4: How many lions are there left in the African wilderness?
A: 50,000
B: 20,000
C: 100,000
A lion sitting proud in Ngala Private Game Reserve, South Africa - Toby Pheasant
The correct answer is B - there are just 20,000 lions left in the wild.
Normally known for their strength, resilience and adaptability in times of adversity, the numbers of these big cats that are synonymous with the African wilderness are dwindling.
Tanzania is now home to roughly 50% of the wild lions left on our planet.
Q5: How tall is an average male adult giraffe?
A: 12 - 14 feet
B: 14 - 16 feet
C: 16 - 18 feet
Giraffe in the Maasai Mara, Kenya - Toby Pheasant
Incredibly, the average height of a male giraffe is 16 - 18 feet. That's between 4.8 and 5.5 metres tall.
How did you do?
0 – 2 correct - Hyena: Laughing stock
3 – 4 correct - Elephant: Solid effort
5 correct - Lion: Top of the food chain!
If you enjoyed these questions, we have another quiz for you to play too! Click the button below to test yourself:
Like it? Share it! - Challenge your friends
James Handley
Born and bred in the South of England, James is Bonamy’s intrepid traveller. When not honing his skills in London over the last decade, he's spent much of his time on self-planned expeditions and a...
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