Consider the following statements regarding the Indian squirrels: 1. They build nests by making burrows in the ground. 2. They store their food materials like nuts and seeds in the ground. 3. They are omnivorous. How many of the above statements are correct?

Answer: B. Only TWO of the three statements are correct. (1) Indian squirrels build burrows in the ground: WRONG. Indian common species (Funambulus palmarum, the three-striped Indian palm squirrel; F. pennantii, five-striped) are ARBOREAL. They build leaf-and-twig nests called dreys in trees, not ground burrows. Ground squirrels exist elsewhere but India's familiar squirrels are tree-dwellers. (2) They store nuts and seeds: CORRECT. Squirrels exhibit scatter-hoarding, caching food items in various spots including soil, tree cavities and bark crevices. This caching behaviour aids tree dispersal of nuts. (3) They are omnivorous: CORRECT. Indian squirrels eat fruits, nuts, seeds, flowers, bark, AND insects, bird eggs and small vertebrates occasionally. Their diet is predominantly plant-based but includes animal matter, making them omnivorous. So 2 correct (2 and 3). Source: NCERT Class 11 Biology / Indian Wildlife species accounts.