Pachyderm Trivia (Elephants, Hippos, & Tapir) | Dorky Geeky Nerdy Trivia Podcast

Welcome to Dorky Geeky Nerdy Trivia, the podcast that feeds your brain one nerdy nugget at a time. This week, we’re stomping into the world of pachyderms—those massive, magnificent mammals like elephants, rhinos, and hippos that have shaped ecosystems, cultures, and myths around the globe. Whether you’re a wildlife buff, an animal‑lover, or just here for some big‑brained fun, today’s pachyderm trivia episode is packed with facts, surprises, and a few hefty challenges. Get ready to test your knowledge and learn something new about the largest land animals on Earth.

We have loads of Science Trivia on the site, so stick around and check it all out.

Book of the Week

The Sixth Extinction

Over the last half a billion years, there have been five mass extinctions, when the diversity of life on earth suddenly and dramatically contracted. Scientists around the world are currently monitoring the Sixth Extinction, predicted to be the most devastating extinction event since the asteroid impact that wiped out the dinosaurs. This time around, the cataclysm is us.

In The Sixth Extinction, two-time winner of the National Magazine Award and New Yorker writer Elizabeth Kolbert draws on the work of scores of researchers in half a dozen disciplines, accompanying many of them into the field: geologists who study deep ocean cores, botanists who follow the tree line as it climbs up the Andes, marine biologists who dive off the Great Barrier Reef. She introduces us to a dozen species, some already gone, others facing extinction, including the Panamian golden frog, staghorn coral, the great auk, and the Sumatran rhino. Through these stories, Kolbert provides a moving account of the disappearances occurring all around us and traces the evolution of extinction as concept, from its first articulation by Georges Cuvier in revolutionary Paris up through the present day. In the ten years since the book was originally published, evidence of the Sixth Extinction has continued to mount, making its message more urgent than ever.

The Sixth Extinction is likely to be mankind’s most lasting legacy; as Kolbert observes, it compels us to rethink the fundamental question of what it means to be human.

We Need Your Reviews & Support

Extra Credit Podcasts & Videos

Previous Episodes

Episode Transcript/Quiz

Episode Intro

Got a thick skin? Well, you don’t need one, but the subjects of today’s episode do. We’re rounding up some pachyderms for this week’s episode.

This week, I’ve got Elephant, Hippo, and Tapir trivia. Rhinos? They had their own special episode a few years ago cohosted by my daughter, Jacqi. Check that out if you haven’t already.

This is episode 384 of the Dorky Geeky Nerdy Trivia podcast. I’m your host and guide that’s way too pale for this job, Brian Rollins. Got your sunscreen, hat, and binoculars? Good. Let’s start this safari.

The Dorky Round

Elephant Trivia

Which gender typically leads an elephant herd?
a. Female. Herds are lead by a matriarch. Males tend to travel alone.
Which elephant’s species has concave backs and larger ears?
a. African Elephants
What do we commonly call an elephant’s proboscis?
a. That’s its trunk
What is the pregnancy period of an African elephant?
a. 22 Months. It’s the longest on Earth. Even the Blue Whale is shorter at just less than a year for gestation.
Who is the closest living relative of elephants?
a. The Hyrax. It’s a small rodent-like mammal weighing between 2 and 5 kg.
Which elephants don’t have tusks?
a. Female Asian Elephants
What elephant, passing away in 1885, gave us an eponym for “huge”?
a. Jumbo the Circus Elephant
What insects are elephants afraid of?
a. Bees. Locals are using beehives to keep elephants from walking through their villages or fields.
How many species of Elephant can be found alive today?
a. Three. African bush elephant, African forest elephant, and Asian elephant
What are the names used for male and female elephants?
a. Bulls and Cows, respectively.

The Geeky Round

Hippopotamus Trivia

What does hippopotamus mean in Greek?
a. River horse
What South American country has a population of invasive hippos descended from Pablo Escobar’s private menagerie?
a. Colombia
On what continent are hippos naturally found on?
a. Africa
What color is the natural “sunscreen” hippos secrete from their skin?
a. Reddish or pinkish (often called blood sweat, though it’s not blood).
What is a group of hippos called?
a. A pod, a herd, or a bloat
What type of hippo is smaller and more solitary than the common hippo?
a. The pygmy hippopotamus.
What time of day do hippos usually feed?
a. At nighttime
How long can a hippo hold its breath underwater?
a. About 5 minutes
What unique behavior do hippos use to mark territory?
a. They spin their tails while defecating to scatter dung.
What part of a hippo grows throughout its life?
a. It’s tusks (which are modified incisors)

The Nerdy Round

Tapir Trivia

How many species of tapir exist today?
a. There are five species of tapirs
What is the smallest tapir species
a. The mountain tapir.
In which South American mountain range would you find the mountain tapir?
a. The Andes
What’s the largest tapir species?
a. The Malayan Tapir. They range in size from 250 to 320kg.
Which continent has the greatest number of tapir species?
a. South America
What is the typical number of offspring in a tapir birth?
a. Just one
What major predator hunts tapirs in the Amazon?
a. Jaguars
What sense do tapirs rely on most?
a. Their sense of smell
How do tapirs communicate?
a. Through high-pitched whistles
Which of the tapir species is not listed as endangered?
a. The South American Tapir. Though it’s listed as Vulnerable. All the others are endangered species.

Episode Conclusion

Get some good photos on our trek? Well, be sure to post them and your favorite questions on social media. Speaking of treks, my daughter Jacqi is leading a trip to South Africa later this year. If you’re interested in joining, let me know. I’ll get you in contact with her.

Next week, it’s some geography trivia. Here’s a question to ponder:

What are three largest cities in Europe?

This is going to be a repeated theme in some upcoming episodes, so start cramming your geography skills. See you back here on Wednesday my friends.

This was the Dorky Geeky Nerdy Trivia Podcast. If you’d like to help support the show and get extra stuff, consider becoming a patron at Patreon.com/dorkygeekynerdy.

This podcast is written, produced, and hosted by Brian Rollins. If you love audiobooks or are looking to have a book turned into an audiobook, contact me at TheVoicesInMyHead.com.

The theme music is Punchfunk by the band, Punchfunk. Listen to all their music on Spotify.

Thanks for listening.