Environment & Ecology : Animal Diversity

Q 4 / 29

UPSC CSE Prelims 2024

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 ?

EXPLANATION

Correct Option (A):

Statement 1 is correct. Lions are non-seasonal breeders, meaning they do not have a specific breeding season and can mate throughout the year. While mating peaks may occur depending on environmental conditions, or due to events like new male takeovers leading to synchronized breeding among females, their reproductive cycle is not restricted to a particular period.

Statement 2 is correct. Cheetahs are unique among most large felids in that they do not possess the anatomical structure (a specialized hyoid apparatus in the larynx) required to produce a true roar. Instead, they communicate using a variety of sounds such as purrs, chirps, growls, hisses, and yowls.

Incorrect Options:

Statement 3 is incorrect. Male leopards, like many other large felids including lions, actively proclaim and mark their territories using scent. This involves spraying urine, making scrape marks on the ground or trees, and rubbing their facial glands on objects to deposit scent. They also use vocalizations, such as a distinctive rasping cough-like call, to signal their presence.

SOURCEEnvironment by Shankar IAS, Chapter 10: Animal Diversity