Consider the following:
- Black-necked crane
- Cheetah
- Flying squirrel
- Snow leopard
Which of the above are naturally found in India?
- 1, 2 and 3 only
- 1, 3 and 4 only
- 2 and 4 only
- 1, 2, 3 and 4
Explanation
Black-necked crane is correct
- The Black-necked crane is the state bird of UT of Ladakh (it was the state bird of erstwhile J&K).
- Distribution: It is native to Ladakh, Sichuan (China) and Tibet. It migrates to Arunachal Pradesh and Bhutan during the winter.
Cheetah is incorrect
- Cheetahs were previously naturally found in India. They were declared extinct in India in 1952. Overhunting and habitat loss were the primary reasons. African cheetahs have been recently reintroduced in India, but they are not regarded as naturally occurring native populations in the wild.
Flying squirrel is correct
- In India we have around 17 species of flying squirrels of which 14 are in the Northeast.
- Flying Squirrels don’t actually fly, but glide from one tree to the other.
Snow leopard is correct
- Snow leopard (or Ghost of the Mountains) is a keystone and indicator species of high-altitude habitat. It is a flagship species for the high-altitude Himalayan ecosystem.
- Distribution: Native to mountains of Central and South Asia. It occurs in the Himalayan region.
