From Servals to Pythons: The Exotic Pets Quiz

Estimated Completion Time
3 min
From Servals to Pythons: The Exotic Pets Quiz
Image: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

About This Quiz

Lots of people have cats and dogs, but a few adventurous pet owners crave something a little less common. Do you prefer a raccoon to a retriever or a squirrel to a Siamese cat? If so, test your knowledge with this quiz.
The Tamandua tetradactyla is sometimes kept as an exotic pet. What is the common name of this animal?
armadillo
acouchi
anteater
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The common name of this pet is the anteater — specifically the lesser anteater. The lesser anteater is a native of South America and is legal to own in most areas of the U.S.

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Which exotic pet is native to central and western Africa and can live up to 30 years?
badger
ball python
brown capuchin
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Ball pythons grow 3-5 feet (91-152 centimeters) in length and can live for 30 years.

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This exotic pet will NOT thrive in temperatures over 78 degrees Fahrenheit (26 degrees Celsius) or in humidity over 40 percent.
chinchillas
cockatoo
chameleon
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Chinchillas are native to the Andes mountains of South America.

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True or false: The overpopulation of captive bred or exotic pet desert tortoises is managed by releasing them back into the wild.
true
false
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The captive bred or pet desert tortoises cannot be returned to the wild because many are hybrids. Not only would these turtles compromise the genetics of wild populations, but they also introduce a high risk of spreading disease to wild desert tortoises.

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Which exotic pet can live up to 100 years?
eastern box turtle
eastern boa constrictor
eastern cotton tail rabbit
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Eastern box turtles are popular exotic pets because they are docile and can be legally kept in most states. Some states, however, may require a permit to keep an eastern box turtle as a pet.

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Which exotic pet has the Latin name Mustela putorius furo, which translates to "smelly little thief"?
fox
finch
ferret
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The ferret has this unfortunate name.

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Which exotic pet can shed its tail if grabbed by a predator?
gerbil
gecko
guinea pig
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Usually, the gecko will grow a new tail after it sheds an old one.

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Which exotic pet is covered with roughly 7,000 quills?
hedgehog
hamster
honey badger
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The quills on a hedgehog help protect against snake bites and are often used to injure or kill snakes.

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This popular exotic pet excretes excess saline through its nostrils.
indri
ibis
iguana
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Iguanas excrete saline through their nostrils to regulate salt levels in the body. Iguanas, which start out small, are believed to be one of the most popular reptile pets in the United States. However, because iguanas can grow up to 6 feet (2 meters) in length, they can eventually become troublesome for some pet owners.

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Which rare exotic pet was once a mascot for British military forces?
jumping spider
jerboa
jumping mouse
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The jerboa is a rare exotic pet and was the mascot for Britain's 7th Armored Brigade, aka the "Desert Rats," during World War II.

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Which exotic pet is nicknamed the "honey bear"?
koala
kaffir cat
kinkajou
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The scientific name of the kinkajou is Potos flavus.

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Which animal is kept as an exotic pet in parts of Asia but is illegal in the U.S.?
loris
llama
least chipmunk
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The loris is a primate related to the lemurs of Madagascar; some of the characters in DreamWorks' 2005 animated film, "Madagascar," closely resemble the loris.

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Which exotic pet lays 100 eggs or more in its nest?
macaw
millipedes
monitor lizard
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Millipede females build a nest on the ground and lay 100 eggs or more in the nest. Millipede hatchlings will emerge from their eggs in approximately one month, which can take pet owners from one pet to hundreds in the span of mere weeks.

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Newts are often kept as exotic pets. Which animal class do newts belong to?
amphibian
reptile
fish
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The word amphibian comes from the Greek word "amphibios," which translates to "a double life." This name is fitting because amphibians spend part of their lives in the water and part on land.

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Which of the following exotic pets is an invertebrate?
opossum
ostrich
octopus
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Octopuses are invertebrates, a classification that refers to animals without a backbone. Both opossums and ostriches are vertebrates.

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True or false: Potbellied pigs, which are occasionally kept as exotic pets, are susceptible to sunburn.
true
false
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The skin of all pigs has very little hair and is therefore sensitive to the sun. Potbellied pig, like their larger cousins, wallow in mud not only to stay cool, but also to protect their skin against damage from the sun.

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Which exotic pet is native to the grasslands and open woodlands of North America?
quokka
quetzal
quail
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The bobwhite quail is native to these areas.

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For which exotic pet is a male called a buck and a female called a doe?
raccoons
rabbits
red squirrels
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

This is true for rabbits. Males and females of raccoons and red squirrels are called boars and sows, respectively.

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Which of the following exotic pets is a marsupial?
sugar glider
skink
Smith's bush squirrel
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Sugar gliders are marsupials. Marsupials are mammals that give birth to immature young and carry them in pouches.

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Many species of tarantula are kept as exotic pets, so what type of diet do the spiders have?
herbivore
omnivore
carnivore
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Tarantulas are carnivores. Most tarantulas eat insects, such as beetles and grasshoppers, but some larger species will even eat frogs, lizards and small birds.

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Which exotic pet is native to the northern Sahara Desert?
Uinta ground squirrel
Uromastyx lizard
uakari monkey
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Uromastyx, or spiny-tailed lizard, is native to the northern Sahara Desert. These lizards can tolerate high temperatures and have been known to bask in temperatures up to 120 degrees Fahrenheit (49 degrees Celsius).

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Which exotic pet has the scientific name Lagostomus maximus?
viscacha
vervet monkey
vole
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The plains viscacha is the common name for the Lagostomus maximus. The plains viscacha lives in the grasslands of South America and matures to 18 pounds (8 kilograms).

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The newborn babies of this exotic pet are the size of a jelly bean.
woodchuck
wallaby
wapiti
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The newborn babies of the Bennett's wallaby are the size of a jelly bean. Wallabies are marsupials, so mothers carry these tiny babies in pouches until they are much more developed.

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Which of these exotic pets require an aquarium?
xantus
Xerus
X-ray tetras
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

X-Ray tetras are native to the Amazon River and therefore require an aquarium. Bones, organs and eggs can be seen through a translucent skin that covers the fish.

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Which exotic pet is featured as the character Zazu in the movie "The Lion King"?
yellow-billed hornbill
yellow-headed caracara
yellow-billed stork
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Yellow-billed hornbills are favored by enthusiasts because they are smaller and easier to handle than other varieties.

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Which exotic pet often is used in medical research?
zebra fish
zorilla
zebra finch
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Mutations that disrupt embryonic development have been isolated in zebra fish and can serve as models for gaining a greater understanding of human diseases.

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The females of which exotic pet develop eggs inside their bodies but give birth to live young?
bluebird
bullfrogs
boa constrictors
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Female boa constrictors develop eggs inside their bodies and then give birth to live young. Animals that produce and retain eggs internally and then give birth to live offspring are called ovoviviparous.

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Which activity cycle do hamsters follow?
nocturnal
crepuscular
diurnal
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Crepuscular animals are most active at dawn and dusk; they are neither nocturnal nor diurnal.

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True or false: Fainting goats do not actually lose consciousness.
true
false
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Fainting goats have a genetic muscular condition and do not actually lose consciousness. The genetic disorder is called myotonia congenita. When fainting goats are startled, their muscles suddenly and vigorously contract, causing them to fall over. Their contracted muscles then relax very slowly, giving the appearance that the goats fainted and are regaining consciousness.

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This exotic pet can reach speeds of up to 50 miles per hour (80 kilometers per hour) in the wild.
sand lizard
skunk
serval
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The serval is the second fastest of all cats — only the cheetah is faster.

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