India’s largest bat was once officially treated as a pest. Nobody ever proved it feeds on blood — because it doesn’t.
mcqquestion.com
Fruit Bat, Not Blood Bat
One statement true, one false — a real UPSC 2024 question
TRUE — Once “Vermin”
The Indian Flying Fox was once placed under the vermin category (old Schedule V) of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
The Indian Flying Fox was once placed under the vermin category (old Schedule V) of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
FALSE — Not a Blood-Feeder
It is a frugivore, feeding on fruit, nectar, and flowers. Blood-feeding is a vampire-bat trait, and vampire bats do not occur in India.
It is a frugivore, feeding on fruit, nectar, and flowers. Blood-feeding is a vampire-bat trait, and vampire bats do not occur in India.
Since 2022: the Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act cut the schedules from six to four and abolished the vermin category. The Indian Flying Fox now sits in Schedule II, with real protection.
🏛️ Must Know
Diet: Fruit, Not Blood
- Frugivore The Indian Flying Fox (Pteropus giganteus) is a frugivore. It feeds on fruit, nectar, and flowers, not on blood.
- Common Trap A frequent exam trap confuses it with vampire bats, which do feed on blood. Vampire bats are native to the Americas and do not occur in India at all.
- India’s Largest Bat It is one of the largest bat species in the world, and India’s largest, roosting in large colonies on tall trees.
Legal Status: From Vermin to Schedule II
- Old Vermin Status Under the original Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, the Indian Flying Fox was at one point placed under the “vermin” category. This fell under the Act’s old Schedule V.
- Why “Vermin” It was classified this way largely over concerns about crop and orchard damage, since large roosting colonies can strip fruit trees.
🏘️ Good to Know
The 2022 Schedule Reform
- Schedules Cut The Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act, 2022 reduced the number of schedules under the original Act from six to four.
- Vermin Category Gone Schedule V, the old vermin category, was abolished entirely in this reform.
- New Structure Schedule I now lists species with the highest protection, and Schedule II a lesser but real degree of protection. Schedule III covers protected plants, and Schedule IV reproduces CITES appendices for internationally traded species.
- Flying Fox Today The Indian Flying Fox is now listed under Schedule II, giving it genuine legal protection instead of vermin status.
Schedule I: The Highest-Protection Tier
- Absolute Protection Schedule I gives a species the highest level of protection under the Act. Hunting is banned except under very narrow legal exceptions.
- Same Tier as the Tiger Any Schedule I species, from the tiger to a protected tortoise, gets the same level of legal protection. Schedule I doesn’t mean a species is nearly extinct, and it doesn’t mean the species is endemic to one region — those are separate facts, not implied by the schedule itself.
- Gharial, Wild Ass, Wild Buffalo The gharial, the Indian wild ass, and the wild buffalo are all Schedule I species. None of the three can be hunted except under the Act’s narrow legal provisions.
Test Yourself
_from_Ranganathittu_Bird_Sanctuary_JEG4460.JPG){kind=link}
Previous Year Questions
- On the Indian Flying Fox’s vermin status and diet, asked as: “The Indian Flying Fox is placed under the vermin category in the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.” (UPSC CSP 2024, GS Paper I).
- On which Schedule I animals cannot be hunted, asked as: “According to the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, which of the following animals cannot be hunted by any person except under some provisions provided by law? 1. Gharial 2. Indian wild ass 3. Wild buffalo” (UPSC CSP 2017, GS Paper I). Answer: all three — 1, 2 and 3. View this question.
- On what Schedule I protection implies, asked as: “In India, if a species of tortoise is declared protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, what does it imply?” (UPSC CSP 2017, GS Paper I). Answer: it enjoys the same level of protection as the tiger. View this question.
For the 2022 six-to-four schedule reform from a plant-species angle, see EnvEco0056 — Rhynchostylis retusa (Foxtail Orchid).
Beyond the answer
Browse all environment-and-ecology topics →
📚 Keep reading
UPSC CSP 2024 — General Studies Paper I (Full Question Paper)UPSC CSP 2017 — General Studies Paper I (Full Question Paper)Polity0331 — The Sixth Schedule of the Indian ConstitutionPolity0038 — The Constitution's 12 Schedules and the Venkatachaliah CommissionUPSC CSP 2019 — General Studies Paper I (Full Question Paper)❓ Practice this topic
D0306 — Consider the following statements: 1. NCAP is a statutory programme backed by a dedicated law. 2. City action plans under NCAP are tracked on the PRANA portal. 3. The Graded Response Action Plan stages emergency measures for Delhi-NCR by AQI level. How many of the statements are correct?D0305 — Which statement best describes a 'non-attainment city' under NCAP?D0304 — What was the original target set by NCAP for reducing PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations by 2024?D0303 — Which ministry anchors the National Clean Air Programme?🎲 Take a Environment And Ecology Quiz
Leave a Reply