WBBSE Solutions For Class 6 School Science Chapter 11 Habits and Habitats Of Some Important Animals MCQs

Chapter 11 Habits And Habitats Of Some Important Animals MCQs

Behavioural Science And Behavioural Scientists Review Questions Environment Review Questions 

Question 1. Behavioural science deals with the behaviour of

1. Animals
2. Human and animals
3. Human only
4. Living organisms.

Answer: 2. Human and animals

Question 2. The study of animal behaviour is known as

1. Ecology
2. Psychology
3. Aetiology
4. Biology

Answer: 3. Ethology

Read And Learn More: WBBSE Solutions For Class 6 School Science

Question 3. Tinbergen, Lorenz, and Frisch were awarded the Nobel Prize in

1. 1973
2. 1790
3. 2010
4. Not awarded Nobel prize

Answer: 1. 1973

Question 4. The founder of modern ethology is

1. Hess
2. Darwin
3. Lorenz
4. Spalding

Answer: 3. Lorenz

Question 5. Ethology came to be considered an independent branch of zoology around

1. 1947
2. 1900
3. 2000
4. 1910

Answer: 4. 1910

Question 6. Darwin proposed the theory of

1. Behaviour
2. Evolution
3. Psychology
4. Aetiology

Answer: 2. Evolution

Question 7. Niko Tinbergen was an

1. Ethologist
2. Ornithologist
3. Zoologist
4. All the above are correct

Answer: 4. All the above are correct

Question 8. Konrad Lorenz worked on

1. Goose
2. Dogs
3. Cats
4. Seals

Answer: 1. Goose

Question 9. Bee dance language was interpreted by

1. Darwin
2. Tinbergen
3. Frisch
4. Lorenz

Answer: 3. Frisch

Question 10. Jane Goodall studied the behaviour of

1. Wild dogs
2. Tigers
3. Ducks
4. Chimpanzees

Answer: 4. Chimpanzees

Question 11. Ornithologist Salim Ali was a/an

1. Pakistani
2. Indian
3. Bangladeshi
4. European

Answer: 2. Indian

Question 12. Raghavendra Gadagkar is associated with

1. Bose Institute
2. Saha Institute
3. Indian Institute of Science
4. British Museum

Answer: 3. Indian Institute of Science

Question 13. Gopal Chandra Bhattacharya got

1. Rabindra Purashkar
2. Bankim Purashkar
3. Nobel Prize
4. None of the above

Answer: 1. Rabindra Purashkar

Question 14. R.L. Brahmachari was a recipient of

1. Rabindra Purashkar
2. Bankim Purashkar
3. Nobel Prize
4. None of the above

Answer: 4. Rabindra Purashkar

 

Chapter 11 Habits And Habitats Of Some Important Animals Behavioural Science And Behavioural Scientists Fill In The Blanks

Question 1. Behavioural science is the systematic analysis and investigation of __________ and animal behaviour.
Answer: Human

Question 2. The study of animal behaviour is known as __________.
Answer: Ethology

Question 3. Darwin’s famous book is On the Origin of Species by Means of __________ Selection.
Answer: Natural

Question 4. Jean Henri Fabre was a __________ entomologist.
Answer: French

Question 5. Tinbergen shared Nobel Prize with Frisch and __________.
Answer: Lorenz

Question 6. Karl von Frisch was a zoologist who studied communication among __________.
Answer: Bees

Question 7. Jane Goodall set out to Tanzania to study wild __________.
Answer: Chimpanzees

Question 8. __________ was an Indian ornithologist and naturalist.
Answer: Salim Ali

Question 9. __________ is a professor at the Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore.
Answer: Gadagkar

Question 10. R.L. Brahmachary is a pioneer in __________ pheromone research.
Answer: Tiger

Question 11. Gopal Chandra Bhattacharya was an Indian __________ and naturalist.
Answer: Entomologist

 

Chapter 11 Habits And Habitats Of Some Important Animals Behavioural Science And Behavioural Scientists Identify As True Or False

Question 1. Behavioural science is the systematic analysis and investigation of human and animal behaviour.
Answer: True

Question 2. Ethology has existed as a concept since 1762 when it was defined in France as the study of animal behaviour.
Answer: True

Question 3. The modern discipline of ethology is generally considered to have begun during the 1830s.
Answer: False

Question 4. The founder of modern ethology is Darwin.
Answer: False

Question 5. Tinbergen embarked on a five-year survey voyage around the world on the HMS Beagle.
Answer: False

Question 6. Darwin proposed that instincts were behavioural adaptations that had evolved by natural selection.
Answer: True

Question 7. Fabre did important research on the behaviour of chimpanzees.
Answer: False

Question 8. Tinbergen established European ethology as the study of the behavioural patterns of animals.
Answer: True

Question 9. Konrad Lorenz was an Indian zoologist and founder of modern ethology.
Answer: False

Question 10. Karl von Frisch was a zoologist who studied communication among birds.
Answer: False

Question 11. Goodall noted that chimps have a complex social system.
Answer: True

Question 12. Salim Ali is referred to as the “birdman of India”.
Answer: True

 

Chapter 11 Habits And Habitats Of Some Important Animals Behavioural Science And Behavioural Scientists Match the Column

 

Answer: A-4, B-3, C-5, D-1

 

Answer: A-2, B-5, C-1, D-4

Chapter 11 Habits And Habitats Of Some Important Animals Behavioural Science And Behavioural Scientists Answer In Words Or A Sentence

Question 1. Which science is the systematic analysis and investigation of human and animal behaviour? Answer: Answer: Behavioural science.

Question 2. What is ethology?
Answer: Ethology is the study of animal behaviour.

Question 3. In which year Tinbergen was awarded the Nobel prize?
Answer: 1973.

Question 4. In which year Darwin’s famous book was published?
Answer: 1859.

Question 5. Karl von Frisch decoded the language of which insects?
Answer: Honey bees.

Question 6. Who is considered as ‘birdman of India’?
Answer: Salim Ali.

Question 7. Who has written the book “Survival Strategies”?
Answer: Raghavendra Gadagkar.

Question 8. Who wrote the book “Banglar Kitpatanga”?
Answer: Gopal Chandra Bhattacharya.

Question 9. Identify the odd man out:
Answer: Salim Ali, Gopal Chandra Bhattacharya, Bernoulli, Konrad Lorenz.
Bernoulli: He was a physicist while other people were behavioural scientists.

Question 10. Name the first woman behavioural scientist.
Answer: Valerie Jane Goodall.

 

Chapter 11 Habits And Habitats Of Some Important Animals Behavioural Science And Behavioural Scientists Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1. What is behavioural science?
Answer: Behavioural science is the systematic analysis and investigation of human and animal behaviour through controlled and naturalistic observation and disciplined scientific experimentation.

Examples of behavioural sciences include psychology, psychobiology, criminology and cognitive science.

Question 2. State the origin and development of ethology.
Answer: Ethology has its scientific roots in the work of Charles Darwin and of American and German ornithologists of the late 19th and early 20th century, including Charles O.

Whitman, Oskar Heinroth, and Wallace Craig. The modern discipline of ethology is generally considered to have begun during the 1930s with the work of Dutch biologist Nikolaas Tinbergen and Austrian biologist Konrad Lorenz and Karl Von Frisch, joint awardees of the 1973 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

Question 3. Write about Darwin’s contribution to ethology.
Answer: Darwin proposed that instincts were behavioural adaptations that had evolved by natural selection.

Darwin provided many examples of instinctive behaviours in animals and suggested how such behaviours could have evolved.

He explained the roles that emotions play in the biology of animals and extended those explanations to humans.

Question 4. Write about Tinbergen’s contribution to behavioural science.
Answer: Tinbergen emphasized the importance of both instinctive and learned behaviour to survival and used animal behaviour as a basis for speculations about the nature of human violence and aggression.

He is especially well known for his long-term observations of seagulls, which led to important generalizations on courtship and mating behaviour.

Question 5. Write about Karl von Frisch’s study of bee behaviour.
Answer: Frisch established that bees, through their perception of polarized light, use the Sun as a compass.

He also found that they are capable of using this method of orientation when the Sun is not visible, apparently remembering patterns of polarization presented by the sky at different times of the day and the location of previously encountered landmarks.

Question 6. Write about an Indian ornithologist.
Answer: Abdul Ali was an Indian ornithologist and naturalist.

Sometimes referred to as the “birdman of India”, Salim Ali was among the first Indians to conduct systematic bird surveys across India and several bird books that he wrote helped popularize ornithology in India.

Question 7. Write about a natural biologist of Bengal.
Answer: Gopal Chandra Bhattacharya (1 August 1895- 8 April 1981) was an Indian entomologist and naturalist. One of his monumental works was the book “Banglar Kitpatanga”.

Credited with popularizing science in Bengal, he is best known for his studies in insects and metamorphosis.

 

Chapter 11 Habits And Habitats Of Some Important Animals Behavioural Science And Behavioural Scientists Short Long Answer Type Questions

Question 1. Write briefly about the history of behavioural science
Answer:

History of Behavioural Science

Ethology has existed as a concept since 1762 when it was defined in France as the study of animal behaviour.

In this sense, it carries the same meaning as the Greek word “ethos”, from which the modern term ethology is derived.

Many naturalists have studied aspects of animal behaviour throughout history.

Ethology has its scientific roots in the work of Charles Darwin and of American and German ornithologists of the late 19th and early 20th century, including Charles O.

Whitman, Oskar Heinroth and Wallace Craig.

The modern discipline of ethology is generally considered to have begun during the 1930s with the work of Dutch biologist Nikolaas Tinbergen and Austrian biologists Konrad Lorenz and Karl von Frisch, joint awardees of the 1973 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

Ethology is a combination of laboratory and field science with a strong relation to some other disciplines such as neuroanatomy, ecology, and evolutionary biology.

Ethologists are typically interested in a behavioural process rather than in a particular animal group, and often study one type of behaviour, such as aggression, in a number of unrelated animals.

Ethology is a rapidly growing field. Since the dawn of the 21st century, many aspects of animal communication, emotions, culture, learning and sexuality that the scientific community long thought it understood have been re-examined, and new conclusions reached.

New fields, such as neuroethology, have developed. Understanding ethology or animal behaviour can be important in animal training.

Considering the natural behaviours of different species or breeds enables the trainer to select the individuals best suited to perform the required task.

It also enables the trainer to encourage the performance of naturally occurring behaviours and also the discontinuance of undesirable behaviours.

The founder of modern ethology is Konrad Z. Lorenz, a physician, zoologist, and comparative anatomist. By systematic application of biological research methods to the analysis of animal behaviour, he provided the initial.

impetus in the 1930s. The first modern ethology textbook, The Study of Instinct, was written by Nikolaas Tinbergen in 1951. E. H. Hess (1962) and Eibl-Eibesfeldt (1966) produced summaries of the modern concepts of behaviour.

The observations of a number of pioneers, including Spalding (1873), Darwin (1872), Whitman (1898), Altum (1868), Heinroth (1911), and Craig (1918), awakened scientific interest in animal behaviour, and ethology came to be considered an independent branch of zoology around 1910.

 

Question 2. Write about any two behavioural biologists.
Answer:

Some Notable Behavioural Scientists

1. Charles Robert Darwin:

Naturalist Charles Darwin was born in Shrewsbury, England, on February 12, 1809. In 1831, he embarked on a five-year survey voyage around the world on the HMS Beagle.

His studies of specimens around the globe led him to formulate his theory of evolution and his views on the process of natural selection.

On November 24, 1859, he published a detailed explanation of his theory in his best-known work, On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection. He died on April 19, 1882, in London.

Darwin proposed that instincts were behavioural adaptations that had evolved by natural selection.

Darwin provided many examples of instinctive behaviours in animals and suggested how such behaviours could have evolved.

He explained the roles that emotions play in the biology of animals and extended those explanations to humans.

2. Jean Henri Fabre:

Jean Henri Fabre (December 22, 1823- October 11, 1915) was a French entomologist, famous for his study of the anatomy and behaviour of insects.

Largely self-taught, Fabre began his career as a Physics teacher at Carpentras (France). From his youth, he was attracted by the beauty of butterflies and grasshoppers.

Fabre did important research on the insect of bees, wasps, beetles, grasshoppers and crickets.

Based on his observations of the paralyzing actions of wasps in response to stimulating zones in their prey, he described the importance of inherited instinct as a behaviour pattern in insects.

Although Fabre never accepted the theory of evolution, his work was respected by Darwin.

Chapter 11 Habits And Habitats Of Some Important Animals The Habits And Behaviour Of Some Animals Review Questions Environment Review Questions MCQ

Question 1. In ethology, habit usually refers to the behaviour of

1. Animals
2. Birds
3. Human
4. Plants

Answer: 1. Animals

Question 2. The drones of ants are

1. Insects
2. Females
3. Males
4. Workers

Answer: 3. Males

Question 3. Black ants are fairly

1. Docile
2. Aggressive
3. Harmful
4. Dangerous

Answer: 1. Docile

Question 4. Ants, termites and honey bees are

1. Very useful
2. Very harmful
3. Eusocial
4. None of the above

Answer: 3. Eusocial

Question 5. The process of worker termites feeding other nestmates is known as

1. Prophylaxis
2. Nutrition
3. Test maker
4. Trophallaxis

Answer: 4. Trophallaxis

Question 6. The scientific name of the Indian honey bee is Apis

1. Dorsata
2. Indica
3. bengalensis
4. Florea

Answer: 2. Indica

Question 7. Worker bees are

1. Males
2. Females
3. Queens
4. Drones

Answer: 2. Females

Question 8. Honey bees live in a nest called a

1. Dormitory
2. House
3. Den
4. Hive

Answer: 4. Hive

Question 9. Honey bees eat nectar and pollen from

1. Flowers
2. Plants
3. Trees
4. Basket

Answer: 1. Flowers

Question 10. Bees communicate by a mode of

1. Language
2. Pheromone
3. Dance
4. Sound

Answer: 3. Dance

Question 11. Worker bees have a stinger which is sharp

1. Hook like
2. Rodlike
3. Tail like
4. Needle-like

Answer: 1. Hook like

Question 12. The Asian elephant is

1. Loxodonta africana
2. Elephas maximus
3. Apis indica
4. Pan paniscus

Answer: 2. Elephas maximus

Question 13. Elephant feed on plants and hence are

1. Omnivorous
2. Vegivorous
3. Carnivorous
4. Herbivorous

Answer: 4. Herbivorous

Question 14. Elephants are considered to be

1. Endangered species.
2. Endemic species
3. Keystone species
4. They are not species

Answer: 3. Keystone species

Question 15. The homeland of chimpanzees is

1. India
2. Africa
3. Europe
4. America

Answer: 2. Africa

Question 16. Bonobos are a type of

1. Elephants
2. Cats
3. Chimpanzee
4. Lions

Answer: 3. Chimpanzee

Question 17. Young chimps stay with their mothers for up to

1. 2 years
2. 10 years
3. 1 year
4. 20 years

Answer: 2. 10 years

Question 18. Santragachhi Jheel in West Bengal is famous for

1. Migratory birds
2. Tiger
3. Swimming pool
4. All the above

Answer: 1. Migratory birds

Question 19. Crows belong to the genus

1. Kaw
2. Croooaaak
3. Raven
4. Corvus

Answer: 4. Corvus

Question 20. The word ‘Mosquito’ is derived from

1. English
2. Greek
3. Spanish
4. Hindi

Answer: 3. Spanish

Question 21. Malaria is spread by

1. Air
2. Water
3. Food
4. Mosquito

Answer: 4. Mosquito

Question 22. The mosquitos which suck blood are

1. Females
2. Males
3. Anopheles
4. Culex

Answer: 1. Females

Question 23. Fishes are

1. Vertebrates
2. Aquatic
3. Lung bearing
4. ‘1’ and ‘2’ correct

Answer: 4. ‘1’ and ‘2’ correct

Question 24. In sea horses, parental care is performed by

1. Females
2. Males
3. ‘a’ and ‘b’ correct
4. None

Answer: 2. Males

Question 25. Snakes are

1. Reptiles
2. Insects
3. Mammals
4. Invertebrates

Answer: 1. Reptiles

Question 26. The largest cat species is

1. Wild cat
2. Lion
3. Tiger
4. Elephant

Answer: 3. Tiger

Question 27. Tigers are

1. Solitary
2. Colonial
3. Gregarious
4. Parasites

Answer: 1. Solitary

Question 28. Whales are

1. Fishes
2. Sharks
3. Dolphins
4. Mammals

Answer: 4. Mammals

Question 29. Baleen whales have no

1. Teeth
2. Lungs
3. Gills
4. ‘1’ and ‘3’ correct

Answer: 4. ‘1’ and ‘3’ correct

Question 30. Termites feed on

1. Rice
2. Cellulose
3. Other insects
4. None of these

Answer: 2. Cellulose

Question 31. The most intelligent and is

1. Red ants
2. Black ants
3. Peasant ants
4. Nomadic ants

Answer: 2. Black ants

Question 32. Which of the following diseases is not spread through mosquitoes?

1. Malaria
2. Dengu
3. Filariasis
4. Typhoid

Answer: 4. Typhoid

Question 33. Which of the following snakes directly give birth to young ones?

1. Cobra
2. Krait
3. Viper
4. Chandra bora

Answer: 3. Viper

Question 34. Which fish guard their babies till the eggs hatch and grow into adults?

1. Rahu
2. Bhetki
3. Gojal
4. Pomphret

Answer: 3. Gojal

Question 35. The largest creatures on Earth are

1. Blue whales
2. Sperm whales
3. Elephants
4. Humpback whales.

Answer: 1. Blue whales

 

Chapter 11 Habits And Habitats Of Some Important Animals The Habits And Behaviour Of Some Animals Fill In The Blanks

Question 1. Ants are truly social or __________ insects.
Answer: Eusocial

Question 2. The queen ant emits a __________ that workers behave in the way they do.
Answer: Scent

Question 3. Termites are closely related to __________.
Answer: Cockroaches

Question 4. ________ termites undertake the most labour within the colony.
Answer: Worker

Question 5. Termites are __________ at any level of decomposition.
Answer: Detritivores

Question 6. Trophallaxis is found in __________.
Answer: Termites

Question 7. The scientific name of the Indian honey bee is __________ indicia.
Answer: Apis

Question 8. Honey bees live in a nest called __________.
Answer: Hive

Question 9. Most bees in a hive are __________.
Answer: Workers

Question 10. Male bees are produced by __________.
Answer: Parthenogenesis

Question 11. The African elephant is __________ africana.
Answer: Loxodonta

Question 12. Elephants are considered to be __________ species due to their impact on their environments.
Answer: Keystone

Question 13. Elephants can live up to __________ to years in the wild.
Answer: 70

Question 14. Wild chimpanzees are found exclusively in __________.
Answer: Africa

Question 15. __________ is the most important component of a chimpanzee’s diet.
Answer: Fruit

Question 16. Field studies of common chimpanzees were pioneered by primatologist __________.
Answer: Jane Goodall

Question 17. Chimpanzees make __________ and use them to acquire food.
Answer: Tools

Question 18. __________ birds fly hundreds and thousands of kilometres.
Answer: Migratory

Question 19. Birds can get compass information from the __________, the stars, and by sensing the earth’s magnetic field.
Answer: Sun

Question 20. __________ whales communicate with each other with the help of musical songs.
Answer: Humpback

Question 21. The genus __________ comprises crows, ravens and rooks.
Answer: Corvus

Question 22. Crows are __________ which means they eat nearly anything.
Answer: Omnivores

Question 23. The word __________ is derived from Spanish for “little fly”.
Answer: Mosquito

Question 24. Anopheles larvae lie __________ of the water.
Answer: Parallel

Question 25. All fish have __________ that allow them to breathe water.
Answer: Gills

Question 26. Male sea horses have __________ to receive fertilized eggs.
Answer: Brood pouches

Question 27. Snakes belong to the animal class __________.
Answer: Reptilia

Question 28. Living snakes are found on every continent except __________.
Answer: Antarctica

Question 29. The snake __________ is modified saliva, delivered through fangs.
Answer: Venom

Question 30. The tiger is the largest __________ species.
Answer: Cat

Question 31. To identify his territory, the male tiger marks trees by spraying __________
Answer: Urine

Question 32. Baleen whales have no __________
Answer: Teeth

Question 33. Whales have a layer of fat known as __________ under the skin.
Answer: Blubber

Question 34. Killer whales can live a maximum of __________ years.
Answer: 35

 

Chapter 11 Habits And Habitats Of Some Important Animals The Habits And Behaviour Of Some Animals Identify As True Or False

Question 1. Many scientists study animal behaviour because it sheds light on human beings.
Answer: True

Question 2. Ants are truly social or eusocial insects.
Answer: True

Question 3. Worker ants are males.
Answer: False

Question 4. Termites are a type of ant.
Answer: False

Question 5. Termite workers and soldiers are sterile.
Answer: True

Question 6. The process of worker termites feeding other nestmates is known are trophallaxis.
Answer: True

Question 7. The termite queen of the colony is responsible for egg production for the colony.
Answer: True

Question 8. Some species of termite practice agriculture.
Answer: False

Question 9. Termites have very hard cuticles.
Answer: False

Question 10. Apis India is an Indian honey bee.
Answer: True

Question 11. A single hive can have up to 80,000 bees, mostly males.
Answer: False

Question 12. A honeycomb is a layer of wax cells made into a hexagonal shape.
Answer: True

Question 13. Male Indian elephants are the largest extant terrestrial animals.
Answer: False

Question 14. Elephants are carnivorous animals.
Answer: False

Question 15. Chimpanzees are native to Africa.
Answer: True

Question 16. Fruit is the most important component of chimpanzees’ diet.
Answer: True

Question 17. Chimpanzees engage in apparently altruistic behaviour within groups.
Answer: True

Question 18. Birds migrate to move from areas of high or increasing resources to areas of low or decreasing resources.
Answer: False

Question 19. All black birds are crows.
Answer: False

Question 20. Crows are omnivores, which means they eat nearly anything.
Answer: True

Question 21. Many species of mosquitoes act as vectors of diseases.
Answer: True

Question 22. Aedes mosquitoes spread malaria.
Answer: False

Question 23. Stagnant water act as the breeding ground of mosquito.
Answer: True

Question 24. Fishes are mammals.
Answer: False

Question 25. All fish have gills that allow them to breathe water.
Answer: True

Question 26. Sea horses are fishes.
Answer: True

Question 27. Snakes are herbivorous.
Answer: False

Question 28. Snakes use smell to track their prey.
Answer: True

Question 29. Tigers are colonial animals.
Answer: False

Question 30. Tigers are good swimmers.
Answer: True

Question 31. The population of tigers has been estimated using plaster casts of their pugmarks.
Answer: True

Question 32. The tiger is an endangered species.
Answer: True

Question 33. Whales are large fishes.
Answer: False

Question 34. Whales have evolved from land-living mammals.
Answer: True

 

Chapter 11 Habits And Habitats Of Some Important Animals The Habits And Behaviour Of Some Animals Match The Columns

 

Answer: A-4, B-1, C-5, D-3

 

Answer: A-5,B-1,C-4,D-2

 

Answer: A-3, B-4, C-1, D-2

 

Chapter 11 Habits And Habitats Of Some Important Animals The Habits And Behaviour Of Some Animals Answer In Words Or A Sentence

Question 1. Give two examples of eusocial insects.
Answer: Ants and termites.

Question 2. How do ants communicate with each other?
Answer: Through tapping with the antennae and smell.

Question 3. What are white ants?
Answer: Termites are called white ants.

Question 4. Name the process of worker termites feeding other nest mates.
Answer: Trophallaxis.

Question 5. Which protozoan species is found in the gut of termites?
Answer: Trichonympha.

Question 6. Write the scientific name of the Indian honey bee.
Answer: Apis indica.

Question 7. What is a hive?
Answer: Nest of honey bees.

Question 8. What is the shape of a honeycomb?
Answer: Hexagonal.

Question 9. What is the scientific name of the African elephant?
Answer: Loxodonta africana

Question 10. Name a primatologist.
Answer: Jane Goodall.

Question 11. Name a non-human mammal capable of making tools.
Answer: Chimpanzees.

Question 12. Name a migratory bird found in Kolkata.
Answer: Brown Shrikes.

Question 13. What is the common name of Corvus spleens?
Answer: House crow.

Question 14. What is a raven?
Answer: A type of crow.

Question 15. Name the mouth part of a mosquito associated with biting.
Answer: Proboscis.

Question 16. Which mosquitoes spread yellow fever?
Answer: Aedes.

Question 17. Name a gill-breathing vertebrate.
Answer: Fish.

Question 18. Is a sea horse a mammal?
Answer: No, it is a fish.

Question 19. Do snakes respond to the sound of flutes?
Answer: No.

Question 20. Which snake directly gives birth to young?
Answer: Chandrabora.

Question 21. Which is the largest cat?
Answer: Tiger.

Question 22. Write the scientific name of the Royal Bengal Tiger.
Answer: Panthera tigris.

Question 23. Give an example of an endangered mammal.
Answer: Tiger.

Question 24. Name an aquatic mammal.
Answer: Whale.

Question 25. Name a fish which builds a nest in long furrows on the underwater soft floor of the earth.
Answer: Tilapia.

 

Chapter 11 Habits And Habitats Of Some Important Animals The Habits And Behaviour Of Some Animals Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1. What is trophallaxis?
Answer: The process of worker termites feeding other nest-mates is known as trophallaxis. Trophallaxis is an effective nutritional tactic to convert and recycle nitrogenous components.

Question 2. What is a detritivore?
Answer: It is an organism that feeds on dead decomposing organic matter. Example-
termite.

Question 3. What is a pheromone?
Answer: A pheromone is a secreted or excreted chemical factor that triggers a social response in members of the same species.

Pheromones are chemicals capable of acting outside the body of the secreting individual to impact the behaviour of the receiving individual.

Question 4. What is eusociality?
Answer: Eusociality is a form of social organization. It is an extensively studied social system displayed by some insects like ants, bees, termites, etc.

Question 5. What is a bee hive?
Answer: A bee hive is an enclosed structure in which honey bee species live and raise their young.

Natural bee hives are naturally occurring structures occupied by honey bee colonies, such as hollowed-out trees, while domesticated honey bees live in man-made bee hives, often in an apiary.

Question 6. What is bee dance?
Answer: It is a pattern of movement exhibited by worker honey bees to communicate about the distance and direction of food sources. It is performed in the front of the hive to instruct fellow workers.

Question 7. What are keystone species?
Answer: A keystone species is a species that has a disproportionately large effect on its environment relative to its abundance.

Such species are described as playing a critical role in maintaining the structure of an ecological community, affecting many other organisms in an ecosystem. Example-elephant.

Question 8. What is bird migration?
Answer: Bird migration refers to the regular (and often seasonal) journeys to and from a given area undertaken by all or part of a bird population. Not all bird species are migratory.

Question 9. Write about the role of mosquitoes in spreading diseases.
Answer: Mosquitoes are known to carry many infectious diseases from several different classes of microorganisms, including viruses and parasites.

Mosquito-borne illnesses include malaria, elephantiasis, dengue fever, yellow fever, etc.

Question 10. What is mosquito control?
Answer: Mosquito control manages the population of mosquitoes to reduce their damage to human health, economies, and enjoyment.

Mosquito control is a vital public-health practice throughout the world and especially in the tropics because mosquitoes spread many diseases, such as malaria.

Question 11. What is a fish shoal?
Answer: Any group of fish that stays together for social reasons is said to be shoaling, and if the shoal is swimming in the same direction together, it is schooling.

Question 12. What is snake charming?
Answer: Snake charming is the practice of pretending to hypnotize a snake by playing an instrument called bansuri.

A typical performance may also include handling the snakes or performing other seemingly dangerous acts, as well as other street performance staples, like juggling and sleight of hand.

Question 13. What are baleen whales?
Answer: Baleen whales are some of the largest animals on Earth. Characteristic baleen plates and paired blowholes help distinguish baleen whales from toothed whales.

Question 14. Mention two differences between a common crow and a Raven.
Answer:

1.  A Raven is bigger in size than a common crow.
2.  Common crows have wings, tails, necks, heads and beaks jet black in colour but the nape (back of the neck) and belly are grey in colour. The entire body of the raven is jet-black in colour.

Question 15. Name four venomous snakes.
Answer: Cobra, Common Krait, Russell’s Viper and Banded Krait.

Question 16. What is the cause of migration for migratory birds?
Answer: Migratory birds fly to find the best ecological conditions and habitats for feeding, breeding and raising their young.

Birds migrate from areas of decreasing resources to areas of increasing or high resources. The two primary resources being sought are food and nesting locations.

Question 17. Why is the number of chimpanzees becoming less?
Answer: Due to the disturbance of the poachers and due to the decrease of the natural habitat (forest land), the number of chimpanzees is gradually decreasing.

Question 18. Which body systems are affected by snake venoms?
Answer: Some snake venoms affect the nervous system while some affect the blood circulatory system.

Question 19. The termites do not usually come out of their holes – Why?
Answer: Termites do not have a hard shell on them. So, if they are too exposed to sunlight, the water in their bodies dries up. That is the reason why they usually do not come out of their holes.

Question 20. What are the functions of blubber in a whale?
Answer: The functions of the blubber or the thick layer of fat under the skin are

1. It insulates the whale from a harsh and cold climate and helps to maintain the body temperature.
2. This provides energy for movement.
3. It also helps with buoyancy and protection from predators.

 

Chapter 11 Habits And Habitats Of Some Important Animals The Habits And Behaviour Of Some Animals Long Answer Type Questions

Question 1. Ants are not seen much during winter months – Why? How do red ants make black ants their slaves?
Answer: During winter months ants build nests under the earth and feed on stored food. Hence they are not seen much during winter.

Red ants are good at fighting. When they feel the urgency to store food, they start fighting with the black ants. As a consequence, the black ants are defeated and they die.

The red ants carry away the eggs from their nest in their mouths to their own nest. When the eggs hatch, these black ants that come out spend their entire life serving those red ants.

Question 2. Write about the behaviour of chimpanzees.
Answer:

Chimpanzees

Chimpanzees (sometimes called chimps) are one of two exclusively African species of great ape that are currently extant. Native to Sub- Saharan Africa, both are currently found in the Congo jungle.

Classified in the genus Pan, they were once considered to be one species.

However, since 1928, they have been recognized as two distinct species the common chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) live in the north of the Congo River and the bonobo (Pan paniscus) which live in the south.

The most obvious differences are that chimpanzees are somewhat larger, more aggressive and male-dominated, while the bonobos are more gracile, peaceful, and female-dominated.

Their hair is typically black or brown. Males and females differ in size and appearance. Standing approximately 4 feet high, males weigh about 45-55 kg, while females weigh between 30-50 kg.

Both chimps and bonobos are some of the most social great apes, with social bonds occurring among individuals in large communities.

Fruit is the most important component of a chimpanzee’s diet; however, they will also eat vegetation, bark, honey, insects and even other chimps or monkeys.

Chimpanzees rarely live past the age of 50 in the wild but have been known to reach the age of 60 in captivity. Chimpanzees and bonobos are equally the closest living relatives.

As such, they are among the largest-brained, and most intelligent of primates; they use a variety of sophisticated tools and construct elaborate sleeping nests each night from branches and foliage.

They have both been extensively studied for their learning abilities.

There may even be distinctive cultures within populations. Field studies of common chimpanzees were pioneered by primatologist Jane Goodall.

Both Pan species are considered to be endangered as human activities have caused severe declines in the populations and ranges of both species.

Several conservation and rehabilitation organisations are dedicated to the survival of Pan species in the wild.

Anatomical differences between the common chimpanzee and the bonobo are slight, but sexual and social behaviours are markedly different.

The common chimpanzee has an omnivorous diet. Chimps occasionally hunt and eat meat. The bonobo, on the other hand, has a mostly frugivorous diet and non-violent, matriarchal behaviour.

Different groups of chimpanzees also have different cultural behaviour with preferences for types of tools.

The common chimpanzee tends to display greater aggression than the bonobo. The average, captive chimpanzee sleeps 9.7 hours a day.

Studies have shown chimpanzees engage in apparently altruistic behaviour within groups. Chimpanzees live in large multi-male and multi-female social groups, which are called communities.

Within a community, the position of an individual and the influence the individual has on others dictates a definite social hierarchy.

Chimpanzees live in a leaner hierarchy wherein more than one individual may be dominant enough to dominate other members of lower rank.

Typically, a dominant male is referred to as the alpha male. The alpha male is the highest-ranking male that controls the group and maintains order during disputes.

In chimpanzee society, the ‘dominant male’ sometimes is not the largest or strongest male but rather the most manipulative and political male that can influence the goings on within a group.

Male chimpanzees typically attain dominance by cultivating allies who will support that individual during future ambitions for power.

Lower-ranking chimpanzees will show respect by submissively gesturing in body language or reaching out their hands while grunting.

Female chimpanzees will show deference to the alpha male by presenting their hindquarters.

Chimps live in communities. These communities are composed of family groups of three to six individuals, totalling about 50 animals.

Most mothers give birth to one young an average of every five to six years in the wild. Young chimps stay with their mothers for up to 10 years.

Chimpanzees make tools and use them to acquire food and for social displays; they have sophisticated hunting strategies requiring cooperation, influence and rank; they are status.

Conscious, manipulative and capable of deception; they can learn to use symbols and understand aspects of human language including some relational syntax, concepts of numbers and numerical sequence; and they are capable of spontaneous planning for a future state or event.

Recent research indicates that chimpanzees’ use of stone tools dates back at least 4,300 years (about 2,300 BC).

One example of chimpanzee tool usage behaviour includes the use of a large stick as a tool to dig into termite mounds and the subsequent use of a small stick altered into a tool that is used to “fish” the termites out of the mound.

Chimpanzees are also known to use smaller stones as hammers and a large one as an anvil in order to break open nuts.

Question 3. What are the harmful effects of mosquitoes and how to control them?
Answer:

Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes are small insects. The word “mosquito” is derived from Spanish for “little fly”.

Thousands of species feed on the blood of various kinds of hosts, mainly vertebrates, including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and even some kinds of fish.

 

 

Both males and females feed mainly on fruit and plant nectar, but the female also needs the protein in her blood to help her eggs develop.

Once she’s had her fill of blood, she’ll rest for a couple of days before laying her eggs. The females “bite” with a long, pointed mouthpart called a proboscis.

They use the serrated proboscis to pierce the skin and locate a capillary, then draw blood through one of two tubes.

They also have a head, thorax and abdomen. On the head, there are two large compound eyes, two ocelli (simple eyes), two antennae and a proboscis.

Two large, scaled wings sprout from the thorax. twigs, hair, twine, bark, plant fibres, mosses, cloth and other materials.

Crows and ravens are important in mythology, fables and native cultures. They are often identified as clever tricksters.

In some cultures, they are symbols of good luck; in others, they bring bad luck. A group of crows is called a “murder”.

There are several different explanations for the origin of this term, mostly based on old folk tales and superstitions.

Many view the appearance of crows as an omen of death because ravens and crows are scavengers and are generally associated with dead bodies, battlefields, and cemeteries and they are thought to circle in large numbers above sites where animals or people are expected to die soon.

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), most crows are not endangered.

Though the loss of blood is seldom of any importance to the victim, the saliva of the mosquito often causes an irritating rash that is a serious nuisance.

Much more serious though, are the roles of many species of mosquitoes as vectors of diseases.

In passing from host to host, some transmit extremely harmful infections such as malaria, yellow fever, Chikungunya, dengue fever, filariasis, Zika virus, etc. rendering it the deadliest animal family in the world.

Females can beat their wings up to 500 times per second, and the males pick out the higher frequency of those beats when seeking a mate.

Most mosquitoes can fly no more than about one to three miles and often stay within several hundred feet of where they were hatched.

They have receptors on their antennae that detect the carbon dioxide released when we exhale. Those plumes of CO, rise into the air, acting as trails that the mosquitoes follow to find the source.

Our skin produces several chemical odours, and some of them are like dinner to mosquitoes. There are more than 2,700 species of mosquitoes in the world. Of these genera, most mosquitoes belong to three

1. Aedes:

Aedes mosquitoes have abdomens with pointed tips. They include such species as the yellow-fever mosquito and the Asian tiger mosquito.

Adults of this mosquito have black bodies with conspicuous white stripes. They Coopersistently bite mammals (especially humans), mainly at dawn and in the early evening.

Their bites are painful. They b spread “Yellow fever”, Encephalitis, Si Dengue fever, etc.

 

 

2. Anopheles:

These tend to breed in bodies of permanent fresh water. Anopheles mosquitoes also have abdomens with no pointed tips.

They include several species, such as the common malaria mosquito that can spread malaria to humans.

3. Culex:

These tend to breed in quiet, standing water. Culex mosquitoes have an abdomen with blunt tips. They are weak fliers and tend to live for only a few weeks during the summer months.

They persistently bite (preferring birds over humans) and attack at dawn or after dusk. Their bite is painful. Culex causes filariasis, bird malaria, encephalitis, and dengue.

Sound is produced due to the flapping of the wings of mosquitoes. Smaller mosquitoes produce more sound.

Like all insects, mosquitoes hatch from eggs and go through several stages in their life cycle before becoming adults.

The female lay their eggs in water, and the larva and pupa stages live entirely in water. When the pupa change into adults, they leave the water and The adult mosquitoes become free-flying land insects.

Egg:

All mosquitoes lay eggs in water, which can include large bodies of water, standing water (like swimming pools) or areas of collected standing water (like tree holes or gutters).

Females lay their eggs on the surface of the water, except for Aedes mosquitoes, which lay their eggs above water in protected areas that eventually.

flood. The eggs can be laid singly or as a group that forms a floating raft of mosquito eggs.

 

 

Larva:

The mosquito eggs hatch into larvae or “wigglers”, which live at the surface of the water and breathe through an air tube or siphon.

As they grow, they shed their skin (moult) several times. Mosquito larvae can swim and dive down from the surface when disturbed.

Pupae:

After the fourth moult, mosquito larvae change into pupae, or “tumblers”, which live in the water anywhere from one to four days depending on the water temperature and species.

The pupae float at the surface and breathe through two small tubes (trumpets). At the end of the pupal stage, the pupae encase themselves and transform into adult mosquitoes.

Adult:

Inside the pupal case, the pupae transform into an adult.

The adult uses air pressure to break the pupal case open, crawls to a protected area and rests while its external skeleton hardens, spreading its wings out to dry. Once this is complete, it can fly away and live on the land.

Identifying larvae:

We can distinguish the larvae of various species of mosquito. Anopheles larvae lie parallel to the surface. of the water, while larvae of Aedes and Culex extend down into the water.

Mosquito Control Methods:

Insecticides can be used to help control mosquitoes. Some products are designed to be applied directly to water to control mosquito larvae, while others are used more broadly to control adult mosquitoes.

1. There are steps you can take to reduce mosquito populations without using insecticides. Here are some tips to consider when trying to avoid mosquito bites:
2. Empty water from containers such as flower pots, birdbaths, pet water dishes, cans, gutters, tires and buckets regularly to disrupt the mosquito breeding cycle.
3. Keep windows and door screens in good working order to prevent mosquitoes from entering your home.
4. If possible, wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants while outdoors, consider staying indoors early in the morning and evening when mosquitoes are most active. Consider using an insect repellent.

 

Question 4. Write about the parental care of fish.
Answer: A fish is an animal which lives and breathes in water. All fishes are vertebrates (have a backbone) and most breathe through gills and have scales.

Fish make up about half of all known vertebrate species. Fish have been on the earth for more than 500 million years.

 

 

Fish were well established long before dinosaurs roamed the earth. There are three classes of fish: jawless, cartilaginous, and bony.

Fish are cold blooded, which means their internal body temperature changes as the surrounding temperature changes. 40% of all fish species inhabit fresh water.

Some fish like sharks don’t possess an air bladder to help keep them afloat and must either swim continually or rest on the bottom.

Some species of fish can fly (glide), others can skip along the surface and others can even climb rock.

Fish have a specialized sense organ called the lateral line which works much like radar and helps them navigate in dark or murky water.

Fish have excellent senses of sight, touch, and taste and many possess a good sense of smell and ‘hearing’. Fish feel pain and suffer stress just like mammals and birds.

Fish eat other fish, fish eggs, molluscs, aquatic plants, algae, zooplankton, terrestrial insects, water birds, turtles, frogs, etc.

In some species the males and females have different shaped bodies or different colouring; in other species, there is no visible difference. A person who studies fish is called an ichthyologist.

All fish have gills that allow them to breathe underwater. Just like we use our lungs to exchange oxygen for carbon dioxide from the air, the gills of a fish perform a similar function to water.

So fish still need oxygen to live, they just get it from the water instead of the air. Fish live in nearly every large body of water in the world including streams, rivers, ponds, lakes, and oceans.

Some fish live on the surface of the water and some live in the very depths of the ocean. There are fish that live in fresh water and others that live in salt water.

The reproduction of a species has to assure the survival of the species. Spawning occurs when the moment is the best for the survival of the fry, abundant food, shelter etc.

After spawning occurs, the eggs may be left or abandoned, or there may be some degree of parental care provided for by the male and/or female.

Parental care is not the rule in fish. Most species are quite content to abandon their offspring to the vagaries of a world populated by organisms that are fond of eating nutritious little snakes such as eggs and fry.

Though they may form a minority, parental species are nevertheless very diverse. They belong to many different families, marine as well as freshwater.

About 80% of these families are represented by species that care only for eggs.

These fishes prepare or build nests, sometimes nothing more than a cleaned rock, sometimes an amalgamation of vegetal matter, empty shells, pebbles, sand, or even air bubbles.

 

 

Parents also tirelessly fan the eggs-moving water over the brood with movements of their fins to provide them with a good supply of oxygen.

In addition, they clean the eggs by brushing them with their fins. With their mouth, they remove dead or diseased eggs. Some transfer mucus onto their eggs which has anti-microbial properties.

If the nest is in the intertidal zone, parents cover the egg batch with algae just before low tide, preventing desiccation.

Many species carry eggs with them so that if a big predator makes an entry onto the scene, the parents can flee and bring the brood with them.

The eggs are carried outside or inside the body.

Examples of outside carriers include medakas (eggs stuck to the female’s vent for a few hours), bagrid and banjo catfishes (eggs embedded on the surface of the belly) and sucker-mouth armoured catfishes (eggs attached to the male’s lower lip).

Inside- carriers include the numerous species of mouth-brooding cichlids (Cichlids are popular freshwater fish kept in the home aquarium), sea catfishes, lumpfishes, cardinalfishes and gouramis (eggs carried inside the mouth, and regularly churned in there for proper cleaning and oxygenation), many seahorses and pipefishes (eggs developing inside a special ventral pouch on the male).

Seahorses are monogamous. The males incubate the eggs that are received from the female. Females do not play any parental care after mating.

Fertilization and incubation of oocytes received from females take place in a sac-like brood pouch located under the tail.

 

 

In most mouthbrooders (those species that carry eggs and fry within their mouth), only one parent provides care.

When all bony fishes are considered as a group, female-only care is the rarest form of parental involvement. The most common form is male-only care.

In such species, males aggressively stake out territories, prepare a spawning site, and court passing females.

Question 5. The nighttime vision of tigers is excellent – explain.
Answer: The Tiger (Panthera tigris) is the largest cat species, most recognisable for its pattern of dark vertical stripes on reddish-orange fur with a lighter underside.

Tigers have muscular bodies with powerful forelimbs, large heads and long tails.

The fur is dense and heavy; colouration varies between shades of orange and brown with white ventral areas and distinctive vertical black stripes, whose patterns are unique to each individual.

Their function is likely for camouflage in vegetation such as long grass with strong vertical patterns of light and shade.

They have a mane-like heavy growth of fur around the neck and jaws and long whiskers, especially in males. The pupils are circular with yellow irises.

The small, rounded ears have a prominent white spot on the back, surrounded by black.

A Tiger’s canine teeth can grow up to three inches long and are easily capable of crunching through the spine of any creature on Earth.

White tigers, this recessive colour variant is found only in the Bengal subspecies and with regular stripes and blue eyes. It is not albinism.

They appear on many flags, and coats of arms, and as mascots for sporting teams. The tiger is the national animal of India, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Malaysia and South Korea.

Adult tigers lead largely solitary lives. They establish and maintain territories but have much wider home ranges within which they roam.

Resident adults of either sex generally confine their movements to their home ranges, within which they satisfy their needs and those of their growing cubs.

Individuals sharing the same area are aware of each other’s movements and activities. The size of the home range mainly depends on prey abundance, and in the case of males, on access to females.

Tigers are strong swimmers and often deliberately bathe in ponds, lakes and rivers as a means of keeping cool in the heat of the day. They are able to carry prey through or capture it in the water.

To identify his territory, the male marks trees by spraying urine and anal gland secretions, as well as marking trails with faeces and marking to typically absent, they have been observed via remote-controlled hidden cameras.

They generally hunt alone and ambush their prey as most other cats do, overpowering them from any angle, using their body size and strength to knock the prey off balance.

After killing their prey, tigers sometimes drag it to conceal it in vegetative cover, usually pulling it by grasping with their mouths at the site of the killing bite.

This too, can require great physical strength. zieminA transom trees or the ground with their claws. Females also use these “scrapes”, as well as urine and scat markings.

Scent markings of this type allow an individual to pick up information on another’s identity, sex and reproductive status.

Roar is produced in a variety of situations such as taking down large prey, signalling sexual receptivity and females calling to their young. These roars may be heard from distances over 3 km.

Male tigers are generally more important to other males within their territories than females are of other females.

Territory disputes are usually solved by displays of intimidation rather than outright aggression.

 

 

In the wild, tigers mostly feed on large and medium-sized animals, preferring native ungulates weighing at least 90 kg. They typically have little or no deleterious effect on their prey populations.

Sambar deer, chital, barasingha, wild boar, gaur, nilgai and both water buffalo and domestic buffalo, etc. are the tiger’s favoured prey in India.

They also prey on other predators, including dogs, leopards, pythons, sloth bears and crocodiles.

Tigers generally do not prey on fully grown adult Asian elephants and Indian rhinoceros but incidents have been reported.

Old or wounded tigers, unable to catch wild prey, can become man-eaters; this pattern has recurred frequently across India.

An exception is in the Sundarbans, where healthy tigers prey upon fishermen and villagers in search of forest produce, humans thereby forming a minor part of the tiger’s diet.

Tigers are thought to be mainly nocturnal predators, but in areas where humans are Tigers make extensive use of their vision for everyday functions and applications (in much the same way as human beings), particularly for hunting during the darkness of night or the limited visibility of dusk or storms.

Tigers hunt mainly during the evening and night times when the vision of their prey is compromised. For this reason, their nighttime vision is excellent; about six times better than that of humans.

There are several adaptations within the actual eye that allow for this. It has a wide, rounded pupil that allows maximum light to enter into the eye, when necessary.

The tiger’s retinas comprise mainly rod receptors, which are cells that are sensitive to low light levels and can perceive very slight movements.

There are some cone cells (colour receptors) in each eye, but these are used more for day vision, and not to perceive a range of different colours.

In fact, it is thought that some tigers only see dull greens, blues and reds, while others see in black and white.

The tapetum lucidum is a layered, mirror-like structure behind the retina that reflects light back into the eyes for a second time so that the eye and brain can form a brighter image of it.

The eyes of the tiger are situated on the front of its head, and not on the sides. This helps with three-dimensional perception and depth perception since both eyes look ahead.

Mating can occur all year round but is more common between November and April. A female is only receptive for three to six days. Mating is frequent and noisy during that time.

The litter is usually two or three cubs, occasionally as few as one or as many as six. Cubs are born blind and helpless.

The females rear them alone, with the birth site and maternal den in a sheltered location such as a thicket, cave or rocky crevice. The male generally takes no part in rearing them.

First tigress hunts and gives pieces of meat to the cubs. The tigers teach them to eat the meat by showing them how to tear it with their teeth.

She also teaches them to swim. After training from the mother for six or seven months, the tigers finally become adults.

The tiger is an endangered species. Poaching for fur and body parts and the destruction of habitat have simultaneously greatly reduced tiger populations in the wild.

At the start of the 20th century, it is estimated there were over 100,000 tigers in the wild, but the population has dwindled outside of captivity to between 1,500 and 3,500.

India is home to the world’s largest population of wild tigers. In 1973, India’s Project Tiger established over 25 tiger reserves in reclaimed land, where human development was forbidden.

Tigers occupy a variety of habitats from tropical forests, evergreen forests, woodlands and mangrove swamps to grasslands, savannah and rocky country.

Tigers do not actually live in Africa; they live in Asia. Tigers are seated at the top of the food chain predators maintaining the ecological balance of populations by keeping prey populations in check.

When a tiger has eaten its prey, the abandoned prey becomes the food for a variety of mammals, birds and reptiles.

Some cultures believe that powdered tiger bones have medicinal value. Unfortunately, tigers are highly in demand to supply this damaging market.

Question 6. Write about the rules of elephant society.
Answer:

Elephants

Elephants are large mammals. Two species are traditionally recognised, the African elephant (Loxodonta africana) and the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus).

Male African elephants are the largest extant terrestrial animals and can reach a height of 4 m (13 ft) and weigh 7,000 kg.

All elephants have several distinctive features, the most notable of which is a long trunk or proboscis, used for many purposes, particularly breathing, lifting water and grasping objects.

Their incisors grow into tusks, which can serve as weapons and as tools for moving objects and digging. Elephants’ large ear flaps help to control their body temperature.

Their pillar-like legs can carry their great weight. African elephants have larger ears and concave backs while Asian elephants have smaller ears and convex or level backs.

As they are huge in size, elephants eat a lot. Each elephant can eat up to one hundred and fifty kg of grass-branches leaves in a day.

Elephants are herbivorous and can be found in different habitats including savannahs, forests, deserts and marshes. They prefer to stay near water.

They are considered to be keystone species due to their impact on their environments.

Other animals tend to keep their distance whereas predators such as lions, tigers, hyenas, and wild dogs usually target only young elephants.

Females tend to live in family groups, which consist of one female with her calves or several related females with offspring.

The groups are led by an individual known as the matriarch, often the oldest female. Males leave their family groups when they reach puberty (between the ages of 12-15), and may live alone or with other males.

Adult males mostly interact with family groups when looking for a mate and enter a state of aggression known as musth, which helps them gain dominance and reproductive success.

Calves are the centre of attention in their family groups and rely on their mothers for as long as three years. The rules in an elephant society are rather strict.

If an elephant calf gets lost while walking in the forest, the herd tries to search it out. But if they see that the lost calf has found a human shelter, they never accept it back.

Elephants can live up to 70 years in the wild. They communicate by touch, sight, smell and sound; elephants use infrasound, and seismic communication over long distances.

Elephant intelligence has been compared with that of primates and cetaceans. They appear to have self-awareness and show empathy for dying or dead individuals of their kind.

Elephants are not territorial. The home range is between 10-70 km and possibly larger, depending on herd size and seasonality.

Elephants sleep about approximately four hours a night. Elephants are crepuscular in nature, primarily active at dawn and dusk (twilight hours) when the environment is cooler.

Question 7. What is the trunk of an elephant made of? What are its functions?
Answer: The trunk or proboscis of an elephant is formed by the joining of the nose with the upper lip.

The trunk is used to smell the air, to break branches of trees, to suck and pour water into the mouth and to uproot grass from the ground and to put it in the mouth. It is also used to grasp any other object in the elephant’s way.

Question 8. How is a tiger’s body adapted to catch its prey?
Answer: A tiger’s body is superbly adapted for predation.

1. They have extremely strong jaws with sharp and long canine teeth for crunching.
2. The long retractable claws help to grab and hold the prey.
3. Longer back legs help in jumping and a massive, muscular body is perfectly suitable to easily hunt animals even bigger than its own size.
4. They have very sharp vision and hearing senses. The Tapetum Lucidum of the retina helps it to see six times better than humans in the dark.
5.  The eyes allow better depth perception when hunting and body stripes make it harder for prey to see the tiger.