Question map
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
The correct answer is option A (statements 1 and 2 only).
**Statement 1 (Lions and breeding season):** Lions do not have a particular breeding season and can breed year-round, particularly in areas with stable prey availability. This statement is correct.
**Statement 2 (Cheetahs and roaring):** Cheetahs are the only wild or domesticated cat species that cannot roar.[1] Unlike most other big cats (lions, tigers, leopards, jaguars) that can roar, cheetahs produce chirps, purrs, and other vocalizations but lack the ability to roar. This statement is correct.
**Statement 3 (Male leopards and scent marking):** This statement is incorrect. Male leopards, like most big cats, DO use scent marking to proclaim their territory. Male cheetahs use marking trees to establish and communicate their territory to other cheetahs. They spray urine, which contains pheromones and other chemical markers, onto the tree[2]—and leopards similarly use scent marking for territorial communication. The statement incorrectly suggests male leopards do not use scent marking.
Therefore, only statements 1 and 2 are correct, making option A the right answer.
Sources- [2] https://portals.iucn.org/library/sites/library/files/resrecrepattach/3rd%20quarter%20Research%20Report%20%281%29.pdf
PROVENANCE & STUDY PATTERN
Full viewThis question is a direct spin-off from the 'Project Cheetah' hype (2022-23). The examiner moved beyond basic distribution (Where are they?) to comparative ethology (How do they differ from Indian natives?). While books don't explicitly list 'breeding seasons', the logic relies on contrasting the new guest (Cheetah) with existing hosts (Lion, Leopard).
This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.
Ex-situ conservation materials list 'study ... breeding and other habits' as an explicit objective, implying breeding timing is a documented trait of concern.
A student could look for captive-breeding records for lions (zoo birth dates) to see whether births cluster seasonally or occur through the year.
The snippet states migrations may be 'of temporary nature for breeding' tied to seasons, giving a general rule that many species have seasonal breeding linked to environmental cycles.
Use this rule to ask whether lions show seasonal movements or mating-related behaviours (e.g., mating aggregations) that would imply a defined season.
The spoon-billed sandpiper example shows some species require specialized, seasonally-limited breeding habitat—an example of breeding seasonality driven by habitat constraints.
Compare habitat-dependence: assess whether lion reproduction is tied to seasonal habitat/resource availability (prey, water) which could produce seasonal breeding.
Captive breeding is presented as a tool to 'boost numbers' and implies managed populations can be bred under controlled timing, suggesting breeding timing can be recorded and manipulated.
Investigate whether captive lion programs report timed breeding interventions or year-round successful mating to infer natural seasonality.
Reference to the Asiatic Lion being endemic to a specific landscape highlights geographic restriction; breeding seasonality can vary regionally.
Use basic geographic knowledge (climate differences between regions) to test whether Asiatic lions in Gir might show a different breeding pattern than African populations.
- Explicitly states cheetahs do not roar, directly answering the question.
- Contrasts cheetahs with other big cats by saying they are the only wild/domestic cat species that cannot roar.
- Mentions alternative vocalizations (chirp, moan, hiss, click), implying absence of a true roar.
This snippet names the cheetah (and gives its species context) showing it is treated as a distinct large carnivore species.
A student could note cheetah's separate identity (Acinonyx) and compare it with lists of 'big cats' elsewhere to see if they fall into the same groups associated with roaring.
Lists many large felids (lion, tiger, leopard, panther, jaguar, puma) together as carnivorous 'big cats'.
A student could recall that many of these named species (e.g., lion, tiger) are reported elsewhere to 'roar', and thus use the list to contrast which genus/species are typically roaring cats versus cheetah.
Provides another list of prominent big carnivores including lion, tiger, leopard—species commonly grouped as 'big cats'.
Use this repeated grouping to infer a pattern: if cheetah is not consistently grouped with these 'big cats', it might differ in vocal abilities such as roaring.
Notes that 'Black Panther' is not a separate species but a color variant, illustrating that common names can hide taxonomic differences.
A student could apply this caution: check scientific names (Acinonyx vs Panthera) when comparing abilities like roaring, since taxonomic differences often correlate with anatomical/vocal differences.
Describes a big cat (tiger) delineating territory by urinating on trees and warning other males, giving a concrete example of scent-marking/urine-marking for territorial defence in large felids.
A student could generalize that closely related large felids often share territorial scent-marking behaviours and then check if leopards (another large felid) show similar marks on trees or paths in field studies or guides.
States that leopards are members of the cat family, linking them taxonomically to other felids for which territorial scent-marking is documented.
Using the taxonomic link, a student could infer behavioural commonalities in Felidae (e.g., scent marking) and then compare leopard-specific ethology sources or range maps to see where males would need to defend territories.
Notes that the black panther is not a separate species but a colour morph, implying behavioural traits are shared across morphs of the same species.
A student could use this to argue that territorial/scent-marking behaviour, if present in leopards, would apply to both normal-coloured and melanistic individuals and then look for observational records mentioning marking in either morph.
- [THE VERDICT]: Borderline/Tough. Statement 2 is a sitter due to Project Cheetah news, but Statements 1 and 3 require deep ethological intuition or specific documentary knowledge not found in standard texts.
- [THE CONCEPTUAL TRIGGER]: Project Cheetah (Reintroduction). The media debate focused heavily on 'Coexistence': Will Cheetahs survive alongside Lions and Leopards? This triggered the comparative behavior question.
- [THE HORIZONTAL EXPANSION]: Memorize the 'Big Cat Matrix': 1. Roaring: Lion/Tiger/Leopard/Jaguar (Yes - Flexible Hyoid bone) vs Cheetah/Snow Leopard/Cougar (No - Rigid Hyoid). 2. Social: Lion (Prides) vs Leopard/Tiger/Cheetah (Solitary/Coalitions). 3. Activity: Cheetah (Diurnal) vs Leopard/Lion (Nocturnal/Crepuscular). 4. Claws: Cheetah (Semi-retractile) vs Others (Fully retractile).
- [THE STRATEGIC METACOGNITION]: When a flagship species is in the news, do not just study the species. Study its 'Competitors'. The examiner asks: 'Do you understand the ecological niche differences that allow these cats to coexist?'
Captive breeding is a conservation method used to control and support reproduction when natural breeding patterns are insufficient or uncertain.
High-yield for UPSC because questions frequently ask about conservation strategies and when in-situ measures must be complemented by ex-situ approaches. Connects to wildlife management, genetic management techniques (artificial insemination, embryo transfer), and policy responses for threatened species.
- Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 16: Conservation Efforts > 16.12. CAPTIVE BREEDING > p. 244
- Environment and Ecology, Majid Hussain (Access publishing 3rd ed.) > Chapter 4: BIODIVERSITY > Ex-situ conservation > p. 30
- Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 16: Conservation Efforts > 16.12. CAPTIVE BREEDING > p. 245
Some species require highly specialized breeding habitats, which constrains when and where they reproduce.
Important for ecology and conservation questions: understanding habitat-linked breeding helps explain vulnerability, seasonal movements, and the design of protected areas. Enables answers on habitat protection, seasonal protection measures, and causes of low reproductive success.
- Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 12: Animal Diversity of India > 12.4.8. Spoon Billed Sandpiper > p. 192
Species recovery programmes incorporate knowledge of breeding and life-history to plan zonal management and protection for threatened populations.
Valuable for UPSC because it links biodiversity policy, legislative protection (Schedule I species), and landscape-level management approaches; useful for questions on species recovery, human-wildlife conflict mitigation, and conservation planning.
- Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 16: Conservation Efforts > a l..J -lj EN.VINO'NM > p. 232
- Environment and Ecology, Majid Hussain (Access publishing 3rd ed.) > Chapter 4: BIODIVERSITY > Ex-situ conservation > p. 30
Project Cheetah is an example of using intercontinental translocation to restore a locally extinct large carnivore.
High-yield for UPSC environment and policy topics: explains practical conservation interventions, links to wildlife management, IUCN guidelines and restoration policy; useful for questions on reintroduction projects, programme design and evaluation.
- Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 16: Conservation Efforts > 16.8. PROJECT CHEETAH > p. 242
Overhunting, capture for sport, habitat conversion and prey decline are cited causes for the cheetah's extirpation in India.
Frequently tested in GS and environment: frames answers on causes of biodiversity loss, anti-poaching and habitat protection measures; connects to forest policy, community livelihoods and conservation planning.
- Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 16: Conservation Efforts > 16.8. PROJECT CHEETAH > p. 242
- Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 5: Natural Vegetation and National Parks > WILDLIFE > p. 41
Knowledge of which big cats and other carnivores occur and their conservation status is central to wildlife policy and protection priorities.
High-yield for prelims and mains: aids questions on species distribution, protected area design, species-specific programmes (e.g., Project Tiger) and biodiversity inventories; helps structure comparative answers on conservation approaches for different taxa.
- CONTEMPORARY INDIA-I ,Geography, Class IX . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 5: Natural Vegetation and Wildlife > WILDLIFE > p. 44
- Environment and Ecology, Majid Hussain (Access publishing 3rd ed.) > Chapter 12: Major Crops and Cropping Patterns in India > Carnivorous Animals > p. 82
- Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 5: Natural Vegetation and National Parks > WILDLIFE > p. 41
Large cats delineate territory by urinating on trees and marking boundaries to signal presence to rivals.
High-yield for questions on animal behaviour and wildlife management: explains mechanisms animals use to partition space and avoid conflict, links to human–wildlife conflict mitigation and habitat management policy. Mastery helps answer behavioural ecology and conservation strategy questions.
- Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 12: Animal Diversity of India > BIVERSITY gF INilffi > p. 188
The 'Roar' Exception: Snow Leopards (Panthera uncia). Despite belonging to the 'Panthera' genus (roaring cats), they CANNOT roar due to the physiology of their vocal cords. This is a high-probability trap for future prelims.
Apply 'Evolutionary Consistency'. Statement 3 claims Leopards do *not* proclaim territory by scent marking. In the animal kingdom, solitary carnivores rely *more* on scent marking than social ones to avoid fatal physical confrontations. It is evolutionarily disadvantageous for a solitary killer like a Leopard to NOT mark territory. Thus, Statement 3 is inherently improbable.
GS-3 Environment & Internal Security: Understanding 'Territorial Scent Marking' (Statement 3) is critical for Human-Wildlife Conflict management. Leopards stray into settlements not just for food, but because linear infrastructure (roads/canals) disrupts their scent trails, confusing their territorial navigation.