Question

A species is categorized as endemic because it is-
A. Exotic and established
B. Kept in captivity for breeding
C. Exclusively found in a particular zone
D. Extinct due to calamity

Answer 1

Hint: Endemic is a word that has originated from the Greek language meaning “Native”. So Endemic species are native to a particular region of the world and found nowhere else in the world. Endemic species require a special habitat which is not provided by any other region in the world to them and hence they are native to that particular region.

Complete answer:
Endemic species are those species which are bound to be found at a particular region and no other place than that region. That region might be a country (a particular country), or an island or a particular region in a country. If a species is present at other parts of the country as well or other regions of the world as well, then it is not considered as an “Endemic Species”.Endemic species need a specific habitat type to survive and hence they are found exclusively at some particular regions of the world. For example- the glacier bear is an endemic species which is found in Southeast Alaska. The bi-coloured frogs of Western Ghats of India are an endemic species. Endemic species are always in a threat of going extinct. The extinction of those species might be due to human actions or because of the introduction of a foreign species or because of any natural changes in the habitat. An example of endemic species going extinct is- Dodo. Dodo was a flightless bird, an endemic species, found in the Indian Ocean but soon extinct when the islands in the Indian Ocean were colonized by humans.

Hence, the correct answer is option (C).

Note: Endemic species are prone to go extinct hence they need special care and protection from the outside world. To create a zoo for those species is a difficult task as it might limit the sources for them putting them in danger of going extinct. Some examples of endemic species are- Chorus cicada (endemic to New Zealand), Bi-colored frog (endemic to Western Ghats of India), The Orange- Breasted Sunbird (endemic to South African fynbos).