Field Guide Lab

A natural-history game show

Real Animalor Made Up?

Some animals sound too strange to be true — and some are. Read each entry from the field guide, then decide: is it a real species catalogued by science, or a clever invention? Trust your instincts, and don’t get fooled.

How to Play

  1. 1

    Meet the specimen

    Each round shows one animal — its common name, scientific name, and a field-guide description.

  2. 2

    Make your call

    Press Real Animal or Made Up. Use the keyboard: R or ← for Real, F or → for Made Up.

  3. 3

    See the verdict

    We reveal the truth. Real animals show a photo and real facts; fakes show what real biology inspired them.

  4. 4

    Finish all 24 rounds

    Build a streak and earn a field-guide title at the end — from Lost in the Jungle to Master Naturalist.

After Each Guess

If it’s Real

Photo + Facts

You’ll see a real photo, the habitat, geographic range, and one memorable fact — all sourced from Wikipedia.

If it’s Made Up

The Inspiration

You’ll see what real biology inspired the invention, so the trick is educational too.

Leave it blank to play without personalization.