📘 Q.6 IAS Prelims 2021 — Environment & Ecology (Anti-Predator Behaviour)🧷 Authentic Classroom Explanation by IAS Monk
📌 The Question:
Consider the following animals:
- Hedgehog
- Marmot
- Pangolin
To reduce the chance of being captured by predators, which of the above organisms rolls up and protects its vulnerable parts?
(a) 1 and 2
(b) 2 only
(c) 3 only
(d) 1 and 3
✅ Correct Answer: (d) 1 and 3
🧠 Classroom Explanation:
1️⃣ Hedgehog — ✅ Correct
• Hedgehogs possess sharp keratin spines
• When threatened, they curl into a tight ball, exposing only spines
• This classic defensive rolling behaviour deters predators
2️⃣ Marmot — ❌ Not correct
• Marmots are ground squirrels
• Their defence strategy is burrowing, vigilance, and alarm calls, not rolling
• They do not curl into a ball
3️⃣ Pangolin — ✅ Correct
• Pangolins are covered with hard overlapping scales
• When threatened, they roll into a near-impenetrable ball
• This protects all soft body parts and is their primary defence mechanism
👉 Hence, Hedgehog and Pangolin use rolling behaviour to avoid predation.
🔍 Curiosity Raiser:
🦔🦎 Nature’s armour designers: Pangolin scales are made of keratin, the same material as human nails and hair, yet strong enough to defeat even big cats.
📚 Enrich Notes (Prelims Edge):
• Rolling defence = passive mechanical protection
• Hedgehog → spines + rolling
• Pangolin → scales + rolling
• Marmot → burrows + social warning calls
• Pangolin is the most trafficked mammal in the world (conservation relevance)
Quick Recall Tip:
👉 Scales or spines + rolling = correct answer
🪶 IAS Monk Whisper:
When escape is impossible, evolution teaches stillness, armour, and patience.