New York City Critters: A 10-Question Quiz

NYC Critters Quiz

• 💡 The quiz features 10 questions about different species or famous New York City critters.
• 🎁 Prizes for correct answers include a Brian Lehrer Show baseball cap and a WNYC tote bag.

Quiz Questions and Answers

• ❓ Question 1: Mayor Eric Adams hates my species, but I'm hard to wipe out, nesting in walls or car engines, and climbing subway stairs with pizza. Answer: Rat (referencing the famous "pizza rat").
• ❓ Question 2: Mayoral candidate Curtis Leewa sees me as a solution to rats, found in bodegas and homes, and unfortunately, in shelters. Answer: Cat.
• ❓ Question 3: I have a rocky history with mayors, biting Bloomberg and being dropped by De Blasio. You need a ferry to reach my burrow, and you visit me for the weather report. Answer: Staten Island Chuck (the groundhog).
• ❓ Question 4: I lived in the Central Park Zoo until I broke free, soared amongst skyscrapers, and perched on fire escapes. I once ate a rat, flew into a building, and New Yorkers mourned me. Answer: Flaco the Owl.
• ❓ Question 5: Brought from Europe as a method of communication, my population exploded after being released into the wild. Answer: Rock Pigeon.
• ❓ Question 6: We mostly roam outer burrows, but my partner and I took up residents in Central Park. We are known as Romeo and Juliet and mate for life. Answer: Coyotes.
• ❓ Question 7: If you brush up against me, I might latch on and make you sick, like the disease named after a town in Connecticut. Answer: Ticks (specifically those that can cause Lyme disease).
• ❓ Question 8: There were three of us on the grounds of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, with colorful tail feathers. We retired to a sanctuary upstate in 2023. Answer: Peacock.
• ❓ Question 9: If you see me, you're supposed to step on me. Answer: Spotted Lantern Fly.
• ❓ Question 10: The American Kennel Club published a list of the five most popular dog species in New York City. Answer: French Bulldog, Bulldog, Poodle, Golden Retriever, and Labrador Retriever.

Popular Dog Breeds in NYC

• 🐾 French Bulldogs are the most common breed in Astoria, East Village, Park Slope, and Riverdale.
• 🐾 Dachshunds are the most common breed in Chelsea.
• 🐾 Labrador Retrievers are popular in New Dorp on Staten Island.
• 🐾 Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are favored in Tribeca and on the Upper East Side.
• 🇺🇸 Nationally, the Labrador Retriever has been the most popular dog breed for 31 consecutive years as of 2021.