Railway
The state animal of Maharashtra is the:
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Answer: Option A — Indian giant squirrel
Detailed Solution
The Indian giant squirrel ("Ratufa indica"), known as "Shekru" in Marathi, is the state animal of Maharashtra.
About the Indian giant squirrel:
- It is a large, colourful tree squirrel found in the forests of central and southern India, especially in the Western Ghats and the Satpura range.
- It can grow up to about 1 metre long, including its long, bushy tail, and weigh up to about 2 kg.
- Its fur is a striking mix of colours, such as maroon, brown, black, orange and cream.
- It lives high in the forest canopy and rarely comes to the ground.
- It can leap up to about 6 metres from one tree to another.
- It builds large, globe-shaped nests ("dreys") of twigs and leaves in tall trees.
- It feeds on fruits, flowers, nuts, seeds and tree bark.
- It is listed as "Least Concern" by the IUCN, but it is threatened by deforestation and habitat loss, and is protected under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
The Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary in the Pune district of Maharashtra was created in 1985 mainly to protect the Indian giant squirrel. It is also the site of the Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga.
It is also found in the Melghat Tiger Reserve and other forests of Maharashtra.
Other state symbols of Maharashtra:
- State tree: Mango.
- State bird: Yellow-footed green pigeon (Harial).
- State flower: Jarul.
- State butterfly: Blue Mormon.
Other related squirrels in India:
- Grizzled giant squirrel ("Ratufa macroura"): found in Tamil Nadu and Kerala; protected in the Grizzled Squirrel Wildlife Sanctuary (Srivilliputhur).
- Malayan giant squirrel: found in north-east India.
- The common Indian palm squirrel has three stripes; according to legend, the stripes were made by Lord Rama's fingers.
State animals of other states:
- Tiger: the national animal of India.
- Barasingha (swamp deer): the state animal of Madhya Pradesh.
- Blackbuck: Andhra Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab.
- Gaur (Indian bison): Goa and Bihar.
Why not the other options?
- ✗The tiger is India's national animal.
- ✗The blackbuck is the state animal of Andhra Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab.
- ✗The gaur is the state animal of Goa and Bihar.
Quick tip
Remember: Maharashtra state animal = Indian giant squirrel ("Shekru"; Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary); Goa and Bihar = gaur; Madhya Pradesh = barasingha; grizzled giant squirrel = Srivilliputhur, Tamil Nadu.
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Biodiversity, National Parks & Wildlife — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Biodiversity, National Parks & Wildlife, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers biodiversity and its conservation: biodiversity hotspots, endangered and endemic species, the IUCN Red List, in-situ and ex-situ conservation, India's national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, tiger reserves and biosphere reserves, and wildlife conservation projects. Questions commonly ask in which state a national park is located and which animal it is known for (Kaziranga in Assam for the one-horned rhinoceros, and Gir in Gujarat for the Asiatic lion), when Project Tiger began (1973), and which regions of India are biodiversity hotspots. The number of protected areas changes as new ones are declared, so check the latest lists. Practise the biodiversity and conservation questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.