Consider the following statements regarding the Malayan giant squirrel...
- Recent context: A first-of-its-kind study by the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) under the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, has projected that numbers of the Malayan Giant Squirrel (Ratufa bicolor) could decline by 90 percent in India by 2050, and if urgent steps are not taken, the species could be extinct in the country in subsequent decades.
- The Malayan Giant Squirrel is one of the world’s largest squirrel species that has a dark upper body, pale underparts, and a long, bushy tail, is currently found in parts of West Bengal, Sikkim, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, and Nagaland.
- It is not a flying squirrel.
- Hence, both statements are not correct.
- The Malayan Giant Squirrel is also distributed through Southern China, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Burma, the Malayan Peninsula, Sumatra, and Java.
- It is found mostly in evergreen and semi-evergreen forests, from plains to hills at elevations of 50 m to 1,500 m above sea level.
- It is listed as Near Threatened on IUCN’s list, and it is protected under India’s Wildlife Protection Act.
- Malayan Giant Squirrel and its habitat are under threat from deforestation, fragmentation of forests, crop cultivation and over-harvesting of food, illegal trade in wildlife, and hunting for consumption. Slash-andburn jhum cultivation in many areas of the Northeast contribute to the destruction of its habitat.
- India is also home to two other giant squirrel species– Indian Giant Squirrel and Grizzled Giant Squirrel – which are found in peninsular India.
Consider the following statements regarding the Malayan giant squirrel...
The correct answer is option 'D' which states that neither statement 1 nor statement 2 is correct. Let's analyze each statement individually to understand why they are incorrect:
Statement 1: It is endemic to Indonesia.
- The Malayan giant squirrel or Black giant squirrel (Ratufa bicolor) is not endemic to Indonesia. It is actually found in several countries in Southeast Asia, including Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos. It is also found in parts of southern China and northeastern India.
- Therefore, statement 1 is incorrect.
Statement 2: It is the largest flying squirrel in the world.
- The Malayan giant squirrel is not a flying squirrel. It is a species of tree squirrel and does not possess the adaptations for true flight seen in flying squirrels.
- True flying squirrels, such as the woolly flying squirrel and the Siberian flying squirrel, have a patagium (a special membrane) that allows them to glide through the air.
- Therefore, statement 2 is incorrect.
In conclusion, neither statement 1 nor statement 2 is correct. The Malayan giant squirrel is not endemic to Indonesia, and it is not the largest flying squirrel in the world.