Consider the following statements:
- Statement-I: Marsupials are not naturally found in India.
- Statement-II: Marsupials can thrive only in montane grasslands with no predators.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (c) Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect
Pouched mammals (marsupials) occur naturally only in Australia, New Guinea and nearby islands and in the Americas, so none are native to India. But they are not confined to predator-free mountain grasslands: they live in deserts, trees, burrows and even water, often alongside predators.
- ✓ Statement-I About 200 marsupial species live in Australia, New Guinea and neighbouring islands and about 70 in the Americas, mostly South and Central America. India has no native marsupials.
- ✗ Statement-II Marsupials occupy many habitats: burrowing, ground-living, tree-living and semi-aquatic species exist. Wallabies, bilbies and the marsupial mole live in the Australian deserts, where NCERT lists dingoes, cats, foxes and snakes among the predators.
Remember · Marsupials (kangaroo, koala, wombat, opossum) are native only to Australasia and the Americas, in habitats from deserts to trees and water; none are native to India.
📘 Read it in NCERT: Class 8 Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 2), Ch 1 (practise this chapter)
Sources
- Encyclopaedia Britannica, Marsupial ↗ · reference work “Some 200 species of marsupials are found in Australia, New Guinea, and neighbouring islands. Some 70 species live in the Americas, mainly in South and Central America. … Marsupials can be burrowing species, such as wombats ; terrestrial, such as kangaroos ; semiaquatic, such as the water opossum ; or arboreal, such as the koala .”
- NCERT Class 8 · Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 2), Chapter 1 “The deserts are home to many animals, like reptiles, skinks, wallabies, bilbies, and feral camels. Predators include dingoes, large lizards, cats, foxes, and snakes.”
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2023, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 1 Oct 2026 (how we verify). ·