The countdown to the holiday season is well and truly underway, and what better way to celebrate all things festive than with ARKive’s wonderfully wintry wildlife quiz!

Challenge your friends and family to see who is top of the pecking order and who will be left out in the cold with our seasonal selection of animal quiz questions. Who knows, you could even use it to settle those annual squabbles about who should have the last mince pie!

1. These polar animals all live in a wintery wonderland, but which one here is the odd one out?

Arctic fox – Emperor penguin – Arctic hare – Snowy owl

2. Seasonal decorations during the festive season are a great way to brighten up the long winter nights, but which of these beautiful birds is also partial to adding a touch of sparkle to its home?

Emerald starling – Vogelkop bowerbird – Goldfinch – Ruby-throated hummingbird

3. Which of these suitably festive-looking mammals hold the record for having the fastest-growing mammalian tissue known to science?

…Bonus point: What does the tissue form?

Reindeer – Polar bear – Snow leopard – Antarctic fur seal

4. Can you match these species to their snowy tracks?

Polar bear – Emperor penguin – Grey wolf – Crabeater seal

5. They may all share festive names, but these animals also all live or breed on which isolated island in the Indian Ocean?

Christmas Island red crab – Christmas frigatebird – Christmas imperial-pigeon – Christmas shearwater

6. In Ukraine, which of these unlikely ornaments are thought to bring good luck if they are found adorning the tree on Christmas morning?

A spider’s web – a cluster of berries – a bunch of flowers – a bird’s nest

7. As part of the seasonal celebrations, children in Puerto Rico leave grass under their beds on the night before January 6^th for which unusual animal?

Ecuadorian grass mouse – Camel – Puerto Rican boa – Guanaco

8. In many Scandinavian countries, which animal is built in the centre of town during the festive season?

A sheep – a horse – a pig – a goat

So, did your animal instincts earn you a place at the front of the pack, or did our festive nature quiz leave you scratching your head like this rather puzzled-looking American black bear?

Find out below!

The answers…

1. Emperor penguin – The Arctic fox, the Arctic hare and the snowy owl all occur in the Arctic, while the emperor penguin is the only one to live in the Antarctic.

2. Vogelkop bowerbird – While all of the other species may have dazzling names, the Vogelkop bowerbird is renowned for the beautiful shelters, or bowers, that the male builds to attract a mate.

3. Reindeer (Bonus point – the antlers) – Reindeer antlers the fastest growing tissue in any mammal. They grow at an astonishing rate, between 1-2 cm or more a day.

4. Clockwise from top left – Emperor penguin, Crabeater seal, Polar bear, Grey wolf

5.  Christmas Island – Christmas Island is a territory of Australia in the Indian Ocean. It is home to many unique species, some of which are found nowhere else on Earth.

6. A spider’s web – If a spider’s web is found on Christmas morning it is believed to bring good luck for the coming year.

7. Camel – On the evening of January the 5^th, Puerto Rican children collect grass and place it in a shoebox under their beds for the Three Kings’ camels.

8. A goat – A large decorative goat made out of straw is built in the centre of many Scandinavian towns at Christmas, as part of one of Scandavia’s oldest festive traditons.

Helen Roddis, ARKive Education Officer

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Dreaming of a white Christmas? Whilst we can’t bring you snow, we can help make your dreams come true when it comes to having a green Christmas.

We all have responsibility to help reduce our impact on the planet. With the excesses of the Christmas holiday season almost upon us, we’ve come up with some simple tips for enjoying a more environmentally friendly festive season.

Avoid the jams

Travelling over the holiday period can feel like joining the annual migration. Using public transport instead of the car to travel to see family and friends will help make the holiday season a little bit greener and help to avoid the traffic.

Save paper

With all the excitement of unwrapping cards and prezzies it’s easy to forget your normal eco habits. We recommend that you buy recycled paper where you can. Also remember to recycle cards and wrapping paper or even better, save them to re-use next year.

Waste not want not

Food is a major part of many peoples holiday celebrations. This Bornean orang-utan isn’t setting the best example. Make sure the holiday spirit doesn’t lead to buying so much food, that lots will just end up in the bin.

Wrap up warm

Feeling chilly? Animals like this Himalayan tahr grow a thicker coat to keep warm over winter. So if you’re feeling the cold, pop on an extra layer before turning up the heating.

Thoughtful gifts

Giving and receiving gifts is a traditional part of Christmas, but there are some gifts that we could really do without. The remote control rat, goldfish ‘snowglobe’ or novelty socks may never be seen again after New Year. This pair of European bee eaters have got it just right; that dragonfly is certain to be appreciated.

Plant a Christmas tree

Growing your own Christmas tree to use every year is a great way to improve your Christmas impact but it doesn’t need to get quite as big as this Fraser fir! If there isn’t the outside space to grow a Christmas tree at least make sure it’s disposed of responsibly.

Finally, make a New Year’s resolution to do something to make the next year a little bit greener.

Have a very happy eco Christmas!

Ellie Sans, ARKive Media Researcher 

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Looking for inspirational gift ideas this festive season? From tasty treats to decorations for the home, the animal kingdom is packed full of thoughtful gift-givers…

Bee mine

The male European bee-eater knows the way to a female’s heart – insects! Throughout the courtship and egg laying period, the male European bee-eater supplies the female with insects such as honey bees. Tasty treats are always a good gift idea!

Mud spa retreat

One of the characteristic features of the distinctive common warthog, as well as its two curved tusks and long dark mane, is that it likes to wallow in mud, largely to keep cool. A nice trip to the spa for a relaxing mud facial is a great idea for people too!

Gifts for the home

Gentoo penguins often form long lasting pair bonds, returning to the previous year’s nest and being loyal to their breeding partner. The pair build a stone nest in which to lay the eggs, and here you can see the male bringing stones for the incubating female. It’s always nice to receive something for the home!

Cosmetic monkey

The interesting looking golden snub-nosed monkey is a species found only in China, and has a fascinating appearance, with bright golden hair (hence its name), a flattened nose, and a blue face. Why not give someone a new make-up set this Christmas so they can look like this marvellous monkey?

Care for a bite?

Some male insects, such as this nursery-web spider, give the female a nuptial gift, in this case an insect wrapped in silk. Gruesomely, this was thought to protect the male from becoming the female’s next meal; however it is now known to just be a way of enticing the female to mate. The larger the gift he brings, the longer she will mate with him. Goes to show, sometimes not all the best gifts come in small packages!

Old fashioned okapis

The okapi is a fascinating looking animal, with zebra like stripes. It is actually closely related to the giraffe, and possesses a relatively long neck. Looking at its lower limbs, you would think it was wearing nice white socks - a nice old fashioned gift idea!

Tasty treats

Chimpanzees are highly social animals, being well known for their high level of intelligence. While they feed mainly on fruit, they are also known to hunt in groups for meat. Males will sometimes give a females meat as a gift to increase tthe chances of reproducing. How could you resist that?

Playful kids

The long-lived black rhinoceros female will give birth every two to four years, to just a single calf. It seems that, with no siblings around to play with, this youngster has found another way to keep itself entertained - a stick! It’s always important to find ways of keeping the kids entertained during the festive season, but this just shows that its not always the most ellaborate of toys that are required.

Shake your tail feathers

Sometimes the most thoughtful gifts cost nothing. That’s certainly what the male raggiana bird of paradise seems to think, opting for a nice display rather than an extravagant gift. The male claps his wings and shake his head in an attempt to impress the female.

Just there is great!

Many species, including the olive baboon, will groom other members of the species. This allogrooming is often a great way of reinforcing social structures and dominance hierarchy’s, but can also help with bonding and reconciliation between members of a group. So how about giving something simple like a nice back rub this year?

Rebecca Taylor, ARKive Media Researcher

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