How Much Do You Know About Reptiles?
Written by Todd Curtis Science Expert
Last updated · 7 min play time
Many of us are fascinated and often times frightened by reptiles. But how much do you really know about these cold-blooded creatures?
With their prehistoric look and similarity to dinosaurs many of us are fascinated and often times frightened by reptiles. But how much do you really know about these cold-blooded creatures? Test yourself with this challenging quiz.
This quiz was expert-written by Todd Curtis. Todd has his Bachelor’s in Physics and Mathematics as well as his Master’s in Mechanical Engineering. Currently, he is a physics professor and has taught astronomy and engineering. In addition to Todd being a history and trivia buff, he is also a DIY guru and built his own house.
Quiz written by
Todd CurtisReptiles Quiz Questions
20 Questions · 8.9K Plays · 4 Comments
Question 1
Reptile scales are used for which of the following?
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ATo absorb oxygen
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BProtection
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CTo absorb water to drink
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DAll options are correct
Protection
Reptile scales are used for protection from predators, weather and other things. Reptiles cannot absorb oxygen or water through their skin.
Question 2
Reptiles are ectothermic meaning they control body temperature using which of the following:
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ANone of these, the body automatically regulates temperature like in humans
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BAbsorbing heat from the environment
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CMoving around more to generate heat
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DShivering or sweating to control temperature
Absorbing heat from the environment
Reptiles are ectothermic, commonly called cold-blooded, meaning their bodies cannot self-regulate their core temperature and instead they must absorb heat from the environment.
Question 3
Reptiles have a much lower resting metabolism than most mammals. What is the benefit of a low resting metabolism?
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AThe body requires less fuel (food)
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BThe animal is able to go long periods of time without breathing
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CThey are able to more easily survive in cold climates
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DEye sight is improved
The body requires less fuel (food)
As cold-blooded animals, reptiles do not generate the heat needed to keep the body warm and functioning, therefore they have lower metabolisms. The lower metabolism means they require less energy, which means they don't need as much fuel (food) to survive.
Question 4
Many lizards have the ability to lose and regrow their tails. What is the most common reason they do this?
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ATo attract a mate
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BAs food for their young
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CTo distract a predator
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DAs part of shedding their skin during growth
To distract a predator
The releasing of a tail for many lizards is a costly defense mechanism. They drop the tail when scared in hopes of distracting or subduing a pursuing predator.
Question 5
Where is snake venom stored?
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AHollow fangs
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BVenom glands
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CHollow jaw bone
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DNasal passage
Venom glands
Snakes produce and store venom in glands in the skull. It is then transmitted to a victim through the fangs.
Question 6
All of the following facts about chameleon eyes are true EXCEPT:
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AThey can see visible and ultraviolet light
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BThey have a 360 degree arc of vision
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CTheir eyes can move in two different directions
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DEach eye has two pupils
Each eye has two pupils
Chameleon eyes are amazing, they can move independently of each other in all directions allowing them to see 360 degrees and focus on two objects. On top of that they can see both visible and UV light.
Question 7
Where do sea turtles lay their eggs?
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ABetween rocks on the ocean floor
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BOn the sandy ocean floor
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COn the beach
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DIn kelp forests
On the beach
Turtles nearly always lay their eggs on sandy beaches.
Question 8
The oldest recorded land animal was a tortoise named Adwaita, approximately how old was Adwaita when he died?
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A200 years old
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B250 years old
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C125 years old
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D100 years old
250 years old
Carbon dating has confirmed that Adwaita was approximately 256 years old when he died in 2006.
Question 9
Approximately how many known species of reptiles are there?
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A10,400
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B5,400
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C1,400
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D540
10,400
There are currently approximately 10,540 known reptile species.
Question 10
Nearly all reptiles have this many chambers in their hearts.
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A2
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B3
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C4
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D1
3
Nearly all reptiles (with the possible exception of the crocodile) have a three-chambered heart.
Question 11
Some vipers, pythons and boas have a special organ just under their nostrils that makes them better hunters. What is this organ used to detect?
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AMagnetic fields
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BMovement of the air
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CX-rays (to see through objects)
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DThermal radiation (heat)
Thermal radiation (heat)
Various snakes have pits or channels on their faces filled with thermoreceptors enabling them to have "heat sensing" capabilities. They can detect thermal radiation of prey as well as predators.
Question 12
While crocodiles usually eat 50 or more full meals each year they can survive a surprisingly longtime without eating. What is the approximate maximum time a crocodile can survive without eating?
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A1 month
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B6 months
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COver a year
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DTwo weeks
Over a year
With highly efficient bodies and extremely low metabolisms crocodiles can survive well over a year without eating.
Question 13
While there are not a lot of reptiles that migrate, there is one that migrated 12,774 miles over 647 days! What reptile is it that holds this record for the longest reptile migration?
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AGiant tortoise
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BAlligator
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CLeatherback Turtle
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DWater Moccasin (snake)
Leatherback Turtle
The leatherback turtle, the largest of all turtles, migrates vast distances between breeding and feeding areas. One was tracked traveling a distance of 12,774 miles!
Question 14
What is the primary purpose for a snake having a forked tongue?
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AFor intimidation
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BTo act like a radio antenna, spreading wide to detect infrared waves in the air
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CTo blind two-eyed prey when attacking
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DTo detect chemicals in the air from two points providing "depth perception"
To detect chemicals in the air from two points providing "depth perception"
Snake tongues have the ability to detect chemicals in the air, much like our sense of smell. Having a forked tongue enables them to detect the smell from two points giving them a depth perception, similar to that provided by our eyes.
Question 15
What is the oldest and most prehistoric reptile alive today?
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ACaiman
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BGila Monster
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CTuatara
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DBrown Basilisk
Tuatara
The tuatara is the only remaining member of the order sephenodontia. It is also known as the living fossil due to its similarity to dinosaurs evolutionarily speaking.
Question 16
Excluding hibernation, about how long can a turtle stay under water without breathing (usually while sleeping)?
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A1 hour
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B7 hours
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C30 minutes
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D12 hours
7 hours
Active turtles can stay down for only about 30 minutes, and hibernating turtles have been known to stay underwater for months! However a non-hibernating turtle can only stay underwater for a maximum of 7 hours.
Question 17
What are reptile scales made of?
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ACartilage
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BCallous Skin
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CBone
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DKeratin
Keratin
Much like human hair, reptile scales are made of keratin.
Question 18
Which of the following is the fastest moving reptile on land, reaching speeds of 22 miles per hour?
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ABlack Mamba (Snake)
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BIguana
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CAlligator
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DGecko
Iguana
The iguana can run at speeds of nearly 22 mph.
Question 19
Humans have a maximum bite strength of 120 pounds (PSI). The bite strength of salt water crocodiles was physically measured in 2012, what was the strongest bite strength measured?
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A370,000 PSI
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B3,700 PSI
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C37,000 PSI
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D370 PSI
3,700 PSI
While being criticized for their weak jaw opening muscles (their jaws can be kept closed with a strong rubber band) crocodiles have very strong jaw closing muscles. With the ability to close with a force of 3,700 PSI, they are stronger than any other recorded bite.
Question 20
The common basilisk, nicknamed the Jesus Christ lizard, has the ability to run on water for distances up to twenty meters. Combined with fast moving legs, which of the following best explains how this is possible?
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ANegative buoyancy
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BCold temperatures make the surface act like a solid
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CTrapped air pockets under the feet
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DIts arms act like wings
Trapped air pockets under the feet
The strong and fast downward thrust combined with trapped air pockets under the lizard's feet enable it to run on the water.
Comments (4)
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Loved how it actually graded you. As if I need one more person telling me "you need to study more"
I need to study more
to easy
Too many difficult questions that most people would have to guess at.