[Trivia] Do you know the answers? A roundup of animal quizzes

sleep standing up

Wild elephants sleep while standing, dozing lightly so they can easily flee from predators. However, calves protected by adults and elephants living in zoos without natural enemies are said to sometimes sleep lying down. Their total sleep time is about 3–6 hours per night, repeating several sleep bouts of 30 minutes to 2 hours—surprisingly short, isn’t it?

about 15%

Perhaps because their limbs and necks are short, pigs tend to give off a somewhat chubby impression. But their standard body fat percentage is about 15%, which actually makes them quite lean compared to adult men at 11–21% and adult women at 20–25%. In fact, they are quite muscular and strong, and they can run fast too—up to 40 km/h, which is even faster than the top speed recorded by Usain Bolt, once considered the fastest human.

About 10 cm

The world’s smallest squirrel is aptly named the African pygmy squirrel, measuring about 7 to 10 centimeters in body length. It inhabits parts of the west coast of Africa, including the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, and Cameroon. It’s astonishingly tiny and adorable, isn’t it?

Shimonoseki City, Yamaguchi Prefecture

The city that has designated the penguin as its “city bird” is Shimonoseki in Yamaguchi Prefecture. Since 1957, when a whaling ship from the former Taiyo Fishery Company entered port and an emperor penguin was donated to the old aquarium, penguins have been loved by the people of Shimonoseki. Today, at the aquarium now known as Kaikyokan, you can see many types of penguins, including king, gentoo, Humboldt, and rockhopper.

16 pieces

Because the large front teeth on the top and bottom stand out, people often think there are only four, but there are actually 16 teeth. Hamsters and other members of the mouse family are called rodents and have front teeth for gnawing, known as ever-growing teeth. If they only gnaw on soft things, their overgrown incisors can eventually pierce their lower jaw or nose, so be sure to let them gnaw on hard items!

about 188 decibels

Whales live in the vast, majestic ocean. It’s said they communicate with companions up to 800 kilometers away using calls as loud as about 188 decibels. For reference, 100 decibels is like the noise under a railway overpass when a train passes, and 120 decibels is about the level of a jet engine. Human eardrums are said to rupture at 150 decibels, so even though sound travels differently in air and in water, it’s astonishing, isn’t it?

About 4 hours

It is said that horses sleep for short periods because, in the wild, herbivores are easy targets for predators. They live in a constant state of alertness, which makes it clear they can’t sleep deeply. Their sleeping postures are also striking: sometimes they rest one leg and stand on three, and other times they lie on their belly. Both postures suggest they are prepared to flee quickly if danger approaches.