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Rhinoceroses
Afrikaans name : Renoster
Scientific name : Order : perissodactyl
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African black rhino ( Diceros bicornis
)
African white or square-lipped
rhinoceros (Ceratotherium
simum)
Region : Native to Eastern and southern Africa and Tropical Asia.
White Rhino is found almost exclusively in Eastern South Africa.
Description : The terms black an d white
may sound misleading, since both species are
grayish to brownish, but white comes from 'wide' as is the lip of the 'wide
rhino'. Enormous animals, There are two subspecies of
white rhino, the Northern white rhino, Ceratotherium simum cottonien (endangered),
and the
Southern white rhino, Ceratotherium simum simum.They are gentle giant and the biggest land mammal after elephants (though outweighed by
hippo).
Habitat : The black rhinoceros occupies a variety of habitats, frequenting open plains,
sparse thorn scrub, savannas, thickets, and dry forests, as well as mountain
forests and moorlands at high altitudes.
Weight : max. 1400 kg. (black) 2250 kg. (white)
Lenght :
2.5 m
Height : 160 cm at the shoulder (black). 185 cm (white)
Speed : top speed 45 km/h
Horns : rhinoceros horn are valued as an aphrodisiac. They have two Keratin
fiber horns, unique to the rhinoceros, with the front one thinner and
longer than the rear one. Length - up to 80 cm.
Food
: The black rhino is a selective browser, and grass
plays a minor role in its diet. Succulent plants, such as euphorbias, assume
great importance in dry habitats, and where these plants are abundant the
animals appear to be able to survive without free water.
The much larger white rhinoceros is a grazing species with a broad, square
muzzle. It prefers
short grasses seven to 10 centimetres high. Perhaps the largest pure grazer that ever lived, the white rhino
uses its wide mouth and muscular lips to graze a broad swath, feeding most
efficiently in dense swards of short, green grass.
Habits : Rhinoceroses
have poor eyesight but acute senses of hearing and smell, it's primary method of detecting danger.
Young : Cows seek dense cover
before calving. Gestation period 15 months. Calves can stand 10 minutes
after being born and begin to follow their mothers right away. There is a strong bond between mother & most recent
young, who stay with mother for 1/2 yrs.
Predators : Hyena, Lion,
sometimes manage to prey on young.
All
but the black rhinoceros are listed as endangered
in the Red Data Book
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