Species in/on Jeopardy! Could you recognize the clues?

Mark Madison
·3 min read
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One of my bucket list items is to appear on Jeopardy!

After taking two tests and doing two Zoom calls with Jeopardy! staff, I have finally come somewhat closer to that dream. I recently made the game show contestant pool and fervently hope to be called sometime in the next 18 months — and not embarrass myself.

To prepare, I have been studying arcane trivia (is there any other kind?) including Shakespeare plays, vice presidents and operas. I still have a lot of work to do on the rivers, mountains and capitals of the world; there are a lot of them!

I have also been thinking about typical Jeopardy! categories. If I controlled their clue crew, it would be all categories on history, literature and science. Categories such as opera, fashion and pop culture would be banned — at least during my appearance.

A gray wolf enjoys the view from our nation’s oldest national park.
A gray wolf enjoys the view from our nation’s oldest national park.

Jeopardy! likes to pick clever categories with witty names. They also like to hide the answers (or questions, in their game show lingo) in part of their clues. So even if you don’t know much about opera, you might get the hint that Puccini did not write this opera about small-winged pollinators (e.g., “what is Madame Butterfly”?).

I also noticed that Jeopardy! likes anniversaries as categories, fitting as the modern incarnation of the show turns 40 next year. In my last column, I noted that the Endangered Species Act turns 50 this year. That would make a great Jeopardy! category (at least for me).

More:Wildlife saved from extinction as the Endangered Species Act turns 50

So, in the (self) interest of providing a ready-made category for Jeopardy’s clue creators and a little trivia fun for the readers, let me present the “Species in Jeopardy!” category — the category itself a play on words the show seems to enjoy.

Answers are at the bottom; feel free to answer in the form of a question. They get harder as the denominations go up:

  • $200 Clue: This president signed the Endangered Species Act in 1973, even while his own presidency was deeply endangered.

  • $400 Clue: This once highly endangered reptile has come back robustly and declared “see you later” to its endangered status.

  • $600 Clue: This “sea cow” was frequently mistaken as a mermaid by sailors and is currently threatened in part because of boat propellor strikes.

  • $800 Clue: The last dusky seaside sparrow died in 1987 at this popular Florida habitat for tourists.

  • $1,000 Clue: This endangered bird’s large quill feathers were rumored to have been used to carry gold dust during the California Gold Rush.

Double Jeopardy Bonus (choose your dollar amount, but these are trickier): In 2008, this species, whose scientific name means “sea bear,” was listed as a threatened species.

Mark Madison is a resident of Hagerstown and historian for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Mark Madison is a resident of Hagerstown and historian for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Final Jeopardy: In 1995 gray wolves were reintroduced to this habitat, the United States’ first national park.

Answers:

  • $200 — Richard Nixon

  • $400 — American alligator

  • $600 — manatees

  • $800 — Walt Disney World

  • $1000 — California condor

  • Double Jeopardy — Polar bear

  • Final Jeopardy — Yellowstone National Park

Mark Madison lives in Hagerstown, where he sometimes plays trivia and often watches Jeopardy!.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Can you answer these 'Jeopardy' clues about endangered species?