Official Answer Key & Detailed Solution
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Correct Answer: Option (A) — 1 and 2 only
Concept & Option Breakdown
Standard Reference VerifiedStatement 1 is correct: Lions are non-seasonal breeders and can mate throughout the entire year.
Statement 2 is correct: True roaring is unique to members of the genus Panthera (lion, tiger, jaguar, leopard) due to a specialized larynx and flexible hyoid apparatus. Cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) belong to a different lineage and purr, chirp, and hiss, but cannot roar.
Statement 3 is incorrect: Like lions, male leopards are territorial and actively mark their territories using scent marking (urine spraying), tree clawing, and vocalizations.
Evaluate territorial behavior: territorial felids across the board (domestic cats, tigers, leopards) consistently mark territories via scent. Statement 3 asserting that leopards do not mark territory via scent is factually atypical and false, eliminating options B, C, and D.
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