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UPSC Prelims 2024 · Environment · Species Watch
Consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above are correct?
- Lions do not have a particular breeding season.
- Unlike most other big cats, cheetahs do not roar.
- Unlike male lions, male leopards do not proclaim their territory by scent marking.
- (a) 1 and 2 only
- (b) 2 and 3 only
- (c) 1 and 3 only
- (d) 1, 2 and 3
Show the answer and explanation
Answer: (a) 1 and 2 only
Lions breed year-round and cheetahs don’t roar; leopards DO scent-mark.
Statement by statement
1. ✓ CORRECT Lions breed at any time of year.
2. ✓ CORRECT Cheetahs can’t roar; they chirp, purr and yelp.
3. ✗ WRONG Leopards are solitary and rely heavily on scent marks (urine, scrapes) to claim territory.
The idea
The “roaring cats” are the lion, tiger, leopard and jaguar. A special voice box lets them roar. The cheetah belongs to a different group: it purrs and chirps like a small cat. And every cat that lives alone, the leopard above all, uses scent to tell others “this area is taken”.
Lion: lives in a pride, breeds all year, roars → Leopard: lives alone, marks territory by scent and scratch marks, roars → Cheetah: built for speed, cannot roar, claws do not pull back fully
The trap
Lions are famous for scent-marking prides, so “unlike lions, leopards don’t” sounds plausible. Solitary cats rely on it even more.
Also know
Cats of India. Big cats: tiger, lion, leopard, snow leopard and clouded leopard, with the cheetah brought back in 2022. Small cats include the fishing cat, caracal, jungle cat and the rusty-spotted cat, one of the smallest cats in the world. India launched the International Big Cat Alliance in 2023 for seven big cats: tiger, lion, leopard, snow leopard, cheetah, jaguar and puma.
🔒 Cheetah: can’t roar, can’t retract claws fully. Leopard: solitary, scent-marks.