[For Elementary School Students] Animal Quiz to Learn Knowledge and Fun Facts

red

A hippopotamus’s sweat is, surprisingly, red. Right after it appears on the skin it’s colorless, but over time it turns red. Because hippos lack sweat and sebaceous glands like humans, their sweat has different properties and helps prevent skin dryness, sunburn, and bacterial infections.

black

To efficiently absorb the sun’s heat, polar bears have black skin. This is a unique trait suited to polar bears that live in the cold Arctic. Also, the fur that looks white actually is transparent. It appears white because the hairs scatter light.

koala

When it comes to animals that eat eucalyptus leaves, koalas come to mind. Because eucalyptus contains toxins, most animals cannot eat it. The reason koalas can eat eucalyptus leaves lies in their liver, which is said to have the ability to break down the toxins. Out of the more than 600 species of eucalyptus, koalas eat about 30 species.

Orange

The surface of a beaver’s teeth—beavers are rodents that are excellent swimmers—is orange. This is because their tooth enamel contains a high amount of iron, which gives it the orange color. Fond of tree bark, beavers have teeth strong enough to gnaw through wood.

panda

Among mammals, animals that have a body pouch for raising their young are called marsupials. Pandas do not have a pouch, so they are not classified as marsupials. Kangaroos and koalas raise their young in a pouch called a marsupium. The pouch protects them from predators and provides a safe place for the babies to grow.

For thermoregulation

An elephant’s large ears—its trademark—help regulate body temperature by flapping. Their ears are lined with fine blood vessels, and the blood flowing from the body is cooled by exposure to the air. The size and shape of the ears also vary depending on the species of elephant.

white

People tend to think a panda’s tail is black, but it’s actually white. It stays white from childhood through adulthood, so check it out the next time you see one at a zoo. The panda’s black fur helps absorb heat, and the black-and-white coloration serves as protective camouflage.