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UPSC Prelims 2019 · Environment · Species Watch
Consider the following pairs: Wildlife: Naturally found in Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched?
- Blue-finned Mahseer: Cauvery River
- Irrawaddy Dolphin: Chambal River
- Rusty-spotted Cat: Eastern Ghats
- (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: (c) 1 and 3 only
Blue-finned mahseer in the Cauvery and the rusty-spotted cat in the Eastern Ghats are right.
Statement by statement
1. ✓ CORRECT The blue-finned (Deccan) mahseer is found in the Cauvery.
2. ✗ WRONG Irrawaddy dolphins live in coastal lagoons and estuaries — Chilika in India. The Chambal has the Gangetic dolphin and gharial.
3. ✓ CORRECT The rusty-spotted cat, the world’s smallest wild cat, lives in dry forests including the Eastern Ghats.
The idea
India has three well-known dolphins and each has a different water. The Gangetic dolphin lives in fresh river water. The Indus dolphin lives in the Beas. The Irrawaddy dolphin lives in brackish lagoons and estuaries, and in India that means Chilika.
Gangetic dolphin → Ganga, Brahmaputra, Chambal → Indus dolphin → Beas → Irrawaddy dolphin → Chilika lagoon
The trap
The Chambal is a famous dolphin river — but for the Gangetic dolphin, not the Irrawaddy.
Elimination technique
In matching questions all pairs are rarely correct in Environment PYQs. So doubt (d) first.
Also know
The Irrawaddy dolphin has a rounded head with no beak. Mahseers are large river carps prized by anglers; several kinds are threatened by dams. The rusty-spotted cat is one of the smallest wild cats in the world and lives in dry forest and scrub of India and Sri Lanka.
🔒 Irrawaddy dolphin → Chilika · Gangetic dolphin → Ganga, Chambal, Brahmaputra.