question_answer

Along the West coast, huge population of giant squirrel is found. But, population living in moist deciduous forest of Maharashtra has light brown fur and that living in dry deciduous forest of Gujarat has a yellow fur.

(i) How would you justify that, despite these differences, they all belong to the same species?

(ii) Give reasons for the differences in the fur colour of squirrel.

(iii) What value of nature is indicated by such differences?

Answer:

(i) The squirrel differ only in fur colouration but they can interbreed in nature to produce fertile off springs which has resulted in their large population. Thus, they belong to the same species.

(ii) The difference in colouration in different habitats are adaptation for the squirrel to camouflage with the background and escape predators.

(iii) It reflects that nature provide protection to all life forms.