UPSC Prelims 2024 · GS Paper I
Question 25: Environment and Ecology
Consider the following statements :
- 1.Lions do not have a particular breeding season.
- 2.Unlike most other big cats, cheetahs do not roar.
- 3.Unlike male lions, male leopards do not proclaim their territory by scent marking.
Which of the statements given above are correct ?
AnswerUPSC’s answer is (a).
Lions are not seasonal breeders, so cubs can be born in any month. Cheetahs cannot roar; they chirp, purr and growl, because their larynx and hyoid structure differ from those of the roaring big cats (lion, tiger, leopard, jaguar). Male leopards do mark their territory with scent, by spraying urine and scratching, so statement 3 is wrong. Remember: cheetahs purr; leopards scent-mark.
- 1. Lions breed throughout the year and have no fixed breeding season.
- 2. Cheetahs cannot roar; they purr and chirp.
- 3. Male leopards mark territory by scent, such as urine spraying and scratching.
How you could have got this
- If you were sure statement 3 is not correct, (b), (c) and (d) go: each of them includes 3.
What you needed to know: Male leopards mark territory by scent, such as urine spraying and scratching.
Only (a) is left. You didn’t need statements 1 or 2.
Which options go is worked out from UPSC’s key and the options, not by a model.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Right: statements 1 and 2 are correct and 3 is not.
- (b) Wrong: statement 3 is incorrect, because male leopards scent-mark too.
- (c) Wrong: it accepts statement 3 and rejects statement 2.
- (d) Wrong: statement 3 is incorrect.
Answer: UPSC’s key. Explanation: written by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.
Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2024, General Studies Paper I, Series A. The paper on upsc.gov.in.