UPSC Prelims 2023 Q17: Geography – Transport & Infrastructure Geography
Consider the following statements regarding the Indian squirrels:
1. They build nests by making burrows in the ground.
2. They store their food materials like nuts and seeds in the ground.
3. They are omnivorous.
How many of the above statements are correct?
- (a) Only one
- (b) Only two
- (c) All three
- (d) None
Answer: (b) Only two
Explanation
Indian Squirrels — Behaviour Facts
| Statement | Claim | Verdict | Fact |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Build nests by making burrows in the ground | FALSE | Indian squirrels (e.g., Indian giant squirrel, three-striped palm squirrel) build dreys (leaf/twig nests) in tree branches or tree hollows — NOT underground burrows. Burrowing is characteristic of ground squirrels found elsewhere. |
| 2 | Store food materials (nuts and seeds) in the ground | TRUE | Squirrels practice scatter hoarding — burying nuts and seeds in the ground as a food cache for later. This behaviour actually contributes to seed dispersal and forest regeneration. |
| 3 | Are omnivorous | TRUE | Indian squirrels eat seeds, nuts, fruits, bark, bird eggs, insects, and small vertebrates. They are omnivores, not strict herbivores. |
Statements 2 and 3 correct → Only two.
Answer: (b) Only two.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Incorrect. 'Only one' — both food-storage and omnivorous behaviours are well-documented in Indian squirrels.
- (b) CORRECT. Squirrels store food underground (scatter hoarding) and are omnivorous — but they build nests in trees, not burrows in the ground.
- (c) Incorrect. 'All three' — Indian squirrels build tree nests (dreys), not ground burrows. Burrowing is not typical of Indian arboreal squirrel species.
- (d) Incorrect. 'None' — storing food underground is a well-known squirrel behaviour that even aids forest regeneration.
Key point
Squirrels build tree nests (dreys), NOT ground burrows. They DO store food underground (scatter hoarding) and are omnivores (fruits, nuts, eggs, insects). Statements 2 and 3 are correct.
Remember
Indian squirrels build tree nests (dreys), not ground burrows. They do store food underground (scatter hoarding) and are omnivores. Only two of the three statements are correct.
Common mistakes
- Confusing arboreal Indian squirrels with ground squirrels — Indian species (Giant Squirrel, Three-striped Squirrel) are tree-dwellers that nest in branches.
- Thinking squirrels are pure herbivores — they eat insects, eggs, and occasionally small animals.
- Mixing up nesting (in trees) with food storage (in ground) — squirrels DO put food underground but they sleep/nest in trees.
Exam tip
Indian squirrels: NEST = trees (dreys). FOOD STORAGE = underground (scatter hoard). DIET = omnivore. Statement 1 confuses nesting with burrowing — a common trap. Scatter hoarding accidentally plants trees (uneaten caches germinate).
Sources
- Wildlife Institute of India — Squirrel Ecology
- NCERT Biology — Animal Behaviour and Adaptation