Animals Quiz for Kids
Giraffes, pandas, chameleons and crocodiles: 15 animal questions made for curious kids aged 6 to 11.
Which is the tallest animal in the world?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Giraffe
An adult male giraffe can stand about 5.5 metres (18 feet) tall, higher than a double-decker bus. Its long neck and legs help it reach leaves at the top of acacia trees.
Even though a giraffe's neck is so long, it has only seven neck bones, exactly the same number as a human.
What is a baby sheep called?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Lamb
A young sheep is a lamb. A calf is a baby cow, a foal is a baby horse and a kid is a baby goat, so all four names belong to farm animals.
Lambs can stand up and walk within about an hour of being born, which helps keep them safe from predators.
What do giant pandas eat most of all?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Bamboo
Bamboo makes up around 99 percent of a giant panda's diet. Because bamboo is not very nutritious, a panda spends 10 to 16 hours a day eating as much as 38 kilograms (84 pounds) of it.
Pandas have a special extra wrist bone that works like a thumb, helping them grip bamboo stalks while they munch.
Which animal is famous for changing the colour of its skin?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Chameleon
Chameleons change colour by moving tiny crystals in their skin, which alters how light bounces off them. They change mostly to show their mood or to warm up or cool down, not just to hide.
A chameleon's tongue can shoot out at lightning speed and is often longer than its whole body, snatching insects before they can escape.
Which bird fans out a huge train of colourful feathers to show off?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Peacock
The male peafowl, called a peacock, raises and shakes a train of long green and blue feathers decorated with eye spots to impress females. The female, called a peahen, is mostly brown.
A peacock's train can have more than 150 feathers and is shed every year after the breeding season, then grows back again.
What is a group of lions called?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Pride
Lions live in family groups called prides, usually made up of related females, their cubs and a few adult males. Most other big cats, such as tigers and leopards, live alone.
The females in a pride do most of the hunting and often work together as a team to surround their prey.
What do frogs look like when they first hatch from their eggs?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Tadpoles
Frogs hatch as tadpoles, which have tails and gills and live in water like little fish. Over several weeks they grow legs, lose their tails and develop lungs so they can live on land.
A clump of frog eggs is called frogspawn, and one female frog can lay thousands of eggs at once.
Which is the largest animal that lives on land?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
African elephant
An adult male African elephant can weigh about 6 tonnes, as much as four cars, and stand 3 to 4 metres (10 to 13 feet) tall at the shoulder. Only whales in the ocean are bigger.
Elephants use their trunks, which contain around 40,000 muscles, to breathe, smell, drink, grab food and even give themselves a shower.
Which bird can fly backwards?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Hummingbird
Hummingbirds are the only birds that can truly fly backwards. They beat their wings in a figure of eight up to 80 times a second, which also lets them hover in front of flowers while they drink nectar.
The bee hummingbird of Cuba is the smallest bird in the world, about the size of a bumblebee and lighter than a coin.
What do we call an animal that eats only meat?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Carnivore
A carnivore eats meat. Lions, sharks and eagles are carnivores. Herbivores eat only plants, and omnivores, such as bears and humans, eat both plants and meat.
Even cute animals can be carnivores: otters, hedgehogs and ladybirds all hunt other creatures for their food.
Which slow-moving animal spends most of its life hanging upside down in trees?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Sloth
Sloths live in the rainforests of Central and South America and hang from branches with their long, hooked claws. They eat, sleep and even give birth upside down, moving so slowly that algae grows in their fur.
A sloth comes down to the ground only about once a week to go to the toilet, which is the most dangerous moment of its week.
Which is the biggest of all the wild cats?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Tiger
The tiger is the largest cat species. A big male Siberian tiger can weigh over 300 kilograms (660 pounds) and stretch more than 3 metres (10 feet) from nose to tail tip, bigger than any lion.
Every tiger has its own pattern of stripes, and the stripes are on its skin as well as its fur.
Which is the largest reptile alive today?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Saltwater crocodile
The saltwater crocodile of Australia and Southeast Asia is the biggest living reptile. Large males can grow more than 6 metres (20 feet) long and weigh over 1,000 kilograms (2,200 pounds).
Crocodiles cannot chew, so they swallow their food in big chunks, and they can go for months without eating a meal.
Which Australian animal is a mammal that lays eggs?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Platypus
The platypus is one of only a handful of egg-laying mammals, called monotremes. The mother lays one or two soft eggs, then feeds the hatchlings with milk, just like other mammals do.
When the first platypus skin reached scientists in Britain in 1799, some thought it was a hoax made by sewing a duck's bill onto a furry animal.
What is a baby swan called?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Cygnet
A young swan is a cygnet, from the Latin word for swan, cygnus. Cygnets are born with fluffy grey or brown feathers and only turn white as they grow up, which inspired the story of the Ugly Duckling.
A gosling is a baby goose and a duckling is a baby duck, so all three names belong to birds that swim.
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All General Knowledge quizzes →About the Animals Quiz for Kids
Did you know a giraffe is taller than a double-decker bus, a hummingbird can fly backwards, and a platypus is a mammal that lays eggs? Animals are full of surprises, and this quiz is packed with them.
These 15 questions are written for children aged 6 to 11, starting with animals every kid knows and working up to a few trickier ones about reptiles, big cats and baby animal names. Each answer comes with a short explanation and a fun extra fact, so it is a great choice for a family quiz night, a classroom warm-up or a rainy afternoon. Grown-ups are welcome to play along, but do not be surprised if the kids win.
You will find 15 multiple choice questions here, each with four options. Difficulty: Easy. Most people finish in about 6 minutes, and every answer comes with a short explanation and one extra fact worth keeping.
How to play
Read the question and pick one of the four answers. The correct answer is revealed straight away with a short explanation, then press Next question to keep going. At the end you get your score out of 15 and a full review of your round. Play again any time and the questions arrive in a fresh order. There is no timer and no account.
Good to know before you play
What age is this animal quiz suitable for?
It is written for children aged 6 to 11. The first questions suit younger kids, and the last few are a fun challenge for older ones.
Are the animal facts checked?
Yes. Every answer is based on well established zoology, and each question comes with a short explanation and a bonus fact.
Can we use this quiz in a classroom?
Absolutely. The 15 questions work well as a quick starter activity, a wet-play game or a quiz for a school animal topic.
Answer key: all 15 questions with explanations
- Which is the tallest animal in the world?
Giraffe An adult male giraffe can stand about 5.5 metres (18 feet) tall, higher than a double-decker bus. Its long neck and legs help it reach leaves at the top of acacia trees. Even though a giraffe's neck is so long, it has only seven neck bones, exactly the same number as a human. - What is a baby sheep called?
Lamb A young sheep is a lamb. A calf is a baby cow, a foal is a baby horse and a kid is a baby goat, so all four names belong to farm animals. Lambs can stand up and walk within about an hour of being born, which helps keep them safe from predators. - What do giant pandas eat most of all?
Bamboo Bamboo makes up around 99 percent of a giant panda's diet. Because bamboo is not very nutritious, a panda spends 10 to 16 hours a day eating as much as 38 kilograms (84 pounds) of it. Pandas have a special extra wrist bone that works like a thumb, helping them grip bamboo stalks while they munch. - Which animal is famous for changing the colour of its skin?
Chameleon Chameleons change colour by moving tiny crystals in their skin, which alters how light bounces off them. They change mostly to show their mood or to warm up or cool down, not just to hide. A chameleon's tongue can shoot out at lightning speed and is often longer than its whole body, snatching insects before they can escape. - Which bird fans out a huge train of colourful feathers to show off?
Peacock The male peafowl, called a peacock, raises and shakes a train of long green and blue feathers decorated with eye spots to impress females. The female, called a peahen, is mostly brown. A peacock's train can have more than 150 feathers and is shed every year after the breeding season, then grows back again. - What is a group of lions called?
Pride Lions live in family groups called prides, usually made up of related females, their cubs and a few adult males. Most other big cats, such as tigers and leopards, live alone. The females in a pride do most of the hunting and often work together as a team to surround their prey. - What do frogs look like when they first hatch from their eggs?
Tadpoles Frogs hatch as tadpoles, which have tails and gills and live in water like little fish. Over several weeks they grow legs, lose their tails and develop lungs so they can live on land. A clump of frog eggs is called frogspawn, and one female frog can lay thousands of eggs at once. - Which is the largest animal that lives on land?
African elephant An adult male African elephant can weigh about 6 tonnes, as much as four cars, and stand 3 to 4 metres (10 to 13 feet) tall at the shoulder. Only whales in the ocean are bigger. Elephants use their trunks, which contain around 40,000 muscles, to breathe, smell, drink, grab food and even give themselves a shower. - Which bird can fly backwards?
Hummingbird Hummingbirds are the only birds that can truly fly backwards. They beat their wings in a figure of eight up to 80 times a second, which also lets them hover in front of flowers while they drink nectar. The bee hummingbird of Cuba is the smallest bird in the world, about the size of a bumblebee and lighter than a coin. - What do we call an animal that eats only meat?
Carnivore A carnivore eats meat. Lions, sharks and eagles are carnivores. Herbivores eat only plants, and omnivores, such as bears and humans, eat both plants and meat. Even cute animals can be carnivores: otters, hedgehogs and ladybirds all hunt other creatures for their food. - Which slow-moving animal spends most of its life hanging upside down in trees?
Sloth Sloths live in the rainforests of Central and South America and hang from branches with their long, hooked claws. They eat, sleep and even give birth upside down, moving so slowly that algae grows in their fur. A sloth comes down to the ground only about once a week to go to the toilet, which is the most dangerous moment of its week. - Which is the biggest of all the wild cats?
Tiger The tiger is the largest cat species. A big male Siberian tiger can weigh over 300 kilograms (660 pounds) and stretch more than 3 metres (10 feet) from nose to tail tip, bigger than any lion. Every tiger has its own pattern of stripes, and the stripes are on its skin as well as its fur. - Which is the largest reptile alive today?
Saltwater crocodile The saltwater crocodile of Australia and Southeast Asia is the biggest living reptile. Large males can grow more than 6 metres (20 feet) long and weigh over 1,000 kilograms (2,200 pounds). Crocodiles cannot chew, so they swallow their food in big chunks, and they can go for months without eating a meal. - Which Australian animal is a mammal that lays eggs?
Platypus The platypus is one of only a handful of egg-laying mammals, called monotremes. The mother lays one or two soft eggs, then feeds the hatchlings with milk, just like other mammals do. When the first platypus skin reached scientists in Britain in 1799, some thought it was a hoax made by sewing a duck's bill onto a furry animal. - What is a baby swan called?
Cygnet A young swan is a cygnet, from the Latin word for swan, cygnus. Cygnets are born with fluffy grey or brown feathers and only turn white as they grow up, which inspired the story of the Ugly Duckling. A gosling is a baby goose and a duckling is a baby duck, so all three names belong to birds that swim.
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