Answers to "It's Puzzle Time"

A baker’s product in two varieties: one is savoury and can be buttered; the other is sweet. Change the first letter of this food to reveal the name of a coastal bird. (PUFFIN = E)

A bird that knows when a dog is happy.  (WAGTAIL = O)

A chess piece that’s also a bird. (ROOK = M)

A nocturnal container for jam. (NIGHTJAR = C)

A famous wizard of times gone by. (MERLIN = J)

A gulp, the action that brings food down the oesophagus. (SWALLOW = N)

A piece of cutlery this bird has for a beak. (SPOONBILL = G)

A piece of thin card half-encrusted with corundum crystals with an abrasive function is almost this bird’s name; simply change one of the vowels. (SANDPIPER = D)

A pinch on the bum, or a large waterfowl?  (GOOSE = A)

A type of carpet, a slang term for intercourse, or a seabird. (SHAG = Q)

Crooner Mr. White, and a banded decorative form of quartz.  (BARYONYX = W)

Extreme fear of needle?  (TERRAPIN = Z)

Five + five ruins.  (TENREC = S)

Mythical beast that can kill with its stare.  (BASILISK = X)

One of a pair of fantastic knockers.  (GREAT TIT = P)

One tin + one tin.  (TOUCAN = R)

One way of cooking an egg, and also another. The first involves water but no oil, the second requires a lot of time.  (POCHARD = B)

Pelvis + vowel + bread + vowel + Quixote or Juan. (HYPSILOPHODON = U)

Remove the bee from Snoopy’s breed. (EAGLE = H)

Replace one vowel in the name for a child with an unknown father. (BUSTARD = L)

Reptile that looks after a computer screen.  (MONITOR = Y)

Sounds like a dinosaur named after Mr. Fawlty.  (BASILOSAURUS = T)

Take the ‘R’ from something you rue, a small white heron have you.  (EGRET = F)

The youngest of the princes, and his grandmother’s official initials.  (HARRIER = I)

There was once one in a Pyrus, but you might want to ask Steve Coogan’s famous character instead.  (PARTRIDGE = K)

We have been spotted by the picture-taking device. (CAMARASAURUS = V)

Species:

A=Canada goose x Greylag goose hybrid (Branta canadensis x Anser anser)

B=Pochard (Aythya ferina)

C=European nightjar (Caprimulgus europaeus)

D=Green sandpiper (Tringa ochropus)

E=(leucistic) Atlantic puffin (Fratercula arctica)

F=Great white egret (Casmerodias albus)

G=Roseate spoonbill (Platalea ajaja)

H=Bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)

I=Montagu's harrier (Circus pygargus)

J=Merlin (Falco columbarius aesalon)

K=Chukar (Alectoris chukar)

L=Great Indian bustard (Ardeotis nigriceps)

M=Rook (Corvus frugilegus)

N=Barn swallow (Hirundo rustica)

O=Pied wagtail (Motacilla alba yarrellii)

P=Great tit (Parus major)

Q=Atlantic shag (Phalacrocorax aristotelis)

R=Keel-billed toucan (Ramphastos sulfuratus)

S=Lowland streaked tenrec (Hemicentetes semispinosus)

T=Basilosaurus isis

U=Hypsilophodon foxii

V=Camarasaurus lentus

W=Baryonyx walkeri

X=Green basilisk (Basiliscus plumifrons)

Y=Bosc's monitor (Varanus exanthematicus)

Z=Balkan stripe-necked terrapin (Mauremys rivulata)

It's Puzzle Time!

It's time to test your tetrapod ID skills as well as your lateral thinking. Below are 26 'riddles': each represents one of the pictures at the end of this post. The riddles are numbered 1 to 26; simply decipher them and match them to a photo (each is labelled with a letter, the letter does not give a clue as to the first letter of the animal's name - most of the time!!). Send in your answers to the riddles and the matching letter (i.e. 1. duck = A) to me at: subhumanfreaks AT hotmail DOT com. Bonus points will be given to anyone who can identify the most species/genera, so have a guess if you can. The winner (the participant who gets the most correct answers including bonus points) will receive a personalised drawing of whichever tetrapod(s) they like. I will end this competition on the 31st May, so you have 10 days to get entering. Good luck!!

Riddles:

1. A baker’s product in two varieties: one is savoury and can be buttered; the other is sweet. Change the first letter of this food to reveal the name of a coastal bird.
2. A bird that knows when a dog is happy.
3. A chess piece that’s also a bird.
4. A nocturnal container for jam.
5. A famous wizard of times gone by.
6. A gulp, the action that brings food down the oesophagus.
7. A piece of cutlery this bird has for a beak.
8. A piece of thin card half-encrusted with corundum crystals with an abrasive function is almost this bird’s name; simply change one of the vowels.
9. A pinch on the bum, or a large waterfowl?
10. A type of carpet, a slang term for intercourse, or a seabird.
11. Crooner Mr. White, and a banded decorative form of quartz.
12. Extreme fear of needle?
13. Five + five ruins.
14. Mythical beast that can kill with its stare.
15. One of a pair of fantastic knockers.
16. One tin + one tin.
17. One way of cooking an egg, and also another. The first involves water but no oil, the second requires a lot of time.
18. Pelvis + vowel + bread + vowel + Quixote or Juan.
19. Remove the bee from Snoopy’s breed.
20. Replace one vowel in the name for a child with an unknown father.
21. Reptile that looks after a computer screen.
22. Sounds like a dinosaur named after Mr. Fawlty.
23. Take the ‘R’ from something you rue, a small white heron have you.
24. The youngest of the princes, and his grandmother’s official initials.
25. There was once one in a Pyrus, but you might want to ask Steve Coogan’s famous character instead.
26. We have been spotted by the picture-taking device.

Pictures:

Answers to Cranial Challenge

First of all, well done to Neil Kelley, who got all 26 questions correct! So, here are the answers to Cranial Challenge:

A: Aardwolf (Proteles cristatus, Hyaenidae)
B: Babirusa (Babyrousa babyrussa, Suidae)
C: Cassowary, southern (Casuarius casuarius, Casuariidae)
D: Dugong (Dugong dugon, Dugongidae)
E: Echidna, short-beaked (Tachyglossus aculeatus, Tachyglossidae)
F: Fox, red (Vulpes vulpes, Canidae)
G: Gharial/gavial (Gavialis gangeticus, Gavialidae)
H: Hornbill, Malabar pied (Anthracoceros coronatus, Bucerotidae)
I: Ichthyosaurus communis, Ichthyosauridae
J: Jerboa, Mongolian five-toed (Allactaga sibirica, Dipodidae)
K: Kangaroo, eastern grey (Macropus giganteus, Macropodidae)
L: Lemur, brown (Eulemur fulvus, Lemuridae)
M: Mastodon, American (Mammut americanus, Mammutidae)
N: Narwhal (Monodon monoceros, Monodontidae)
O: Orca (Orcinus orca, Delphinidae)
P: Pangolin, long-tailed (Manis longicaudata, Manidae)
Q: Quetzalcoatlus sp., Azhdarchidae
R: Rhinoceros, Sumatran (Dicerorhinus sumatraensis, Rhinocerotidae)
S: Shoveler, northern (Anas clypeata, Anatidae)
T: Thylacine/Tasmanian wolf/Tasmanian tiger (Thylacinus cynocephalus, Thylacinidae)
U: Ursus spelaeus (cave bear), Ursidae
V: Velociraptor mongoliensis, Dromaeosauridae
W: Whale, bowhead (Balaena mysticetus, Balaenidae)
X: Xiphias gladius (swordfish), Xiphiidae
Y: Yak (Bos grunniens, Bovidae)
Z: Zebra, Burchell’s (Equus burchellii, Equidae)

I hope you all learned a little something, and had fun having a go.

Caption Contest winners & Cranial Challenge

Congratulations to Traumador the Tyrannosaur who has won the caption competition from last month, featuring Darren Naish and Dave Martill!



"The itsy bittsy spider crawled up the cliff face, down came a wave and washed the spider out"

Traumador, you have won a personalised A3-sized illustration of the tetrapod or tetrapods of your choice! I would also like to offer the same prize to the stars of the photo.

The next competition has the same prize (it's all I can offer!), but is arguably more difficult. I have named it "Cranial Challenge", as it's all about identifying vertebrate skulls! There are 26 questions in the quiz, in alphabetical order from A to Z. If you think the answer for "A" is an American alligator (it isn't, by the way), then you can either just submit "alligator", or be more specific if you want. Most of the answers are the common name of the animal, but a few are of the scientific name. Send your answers to me by e-mail (see profile for e-mail address).

A:


B:


C:


D:


E:



F:


G:


H:


I:


J:


K:


L:


M:


N:


O:


P:


Q:


R:


S:


T:


U:


V:


W:


X:


Y:


Z:


Good luck!