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 ?
Show answer
Answer: A. Statement 1 is correct: lions can mate and breed at any time of the year. Statement 2 is correct: cheetahs cannot roar; they purr, chirp and hiss instead. Statement 3 is wrong: male leopards do mark their territory with scent, urine and claw marks, just like lions. So 1 and 2 only.
Watch for: Leopards are shy and solitary, so students assume they do not mark territory, but solitary cats rely heavily on scent marks.
Why the other options are wrong
- B. Wrong because Statement 3 is false; leopards do scent-mark.
- C. Wrong because Statement 2 is true and Statement 3 is false.
- D. Wrong because male leopards do mark territory by scent.
Source to check: Encyclopaedia Britannica entries 'Lion', 'Cheetah' and 'Leopard'; Smithsonian's National Zoo animal pages
Answer from the official UPSC key. Written and fact-checked by AI against the official key. Spotted a mistake? Report it.