Content
- Rhino characteristics
- Rhino feeding
- where rhinos live
- Types of Rhinoceros
- White rhino
- black rhino
- indian rhinoceros
- Rhino of Java
- Sumatran rhinoceros
- Rhino conservation status
Rhinoceros are part of the largest group of mammals on Earth and usually weigh more than a ton. Although with certain variations between one species and another, they seem to be endowed with an armor which, together with the presence of one or two horns, gives them their particular appearance. They are generally very solitary and territorial animals, coming together only for reproduction or when a female keeps her offspring close to her until they become independent.
Despite their strength and the fact that most species are not sociable (in fact, they respond somewhat aggressively to any approach), rhinos have been species considerably. endangered, even disappearing in different regions of the world.
To learn more about these large mammals, we invite you to read this PeritoAnimal article in which you will find information about them. rhinos - types, characteristics and habitat.
Rhino characteristics
Although each species of rhinoceros has particular characteristics that allow for its differentiation, there are some common features among the various groups., which we will know below:
- Classification: rhinos belong to the order Perissodactyla, the suborder Ceratomorphs, and the family Rhinocerotidae.
- Fingers: being a kind of perissodactyl, they have an odd number of fingers, in this case three, the central being the most developed, which serves as the main support. All toes end in hooves.
- Weight: Rhinoceros reach large body masses, weighing on average at least 1,000 kg. At birth, depending on the species, they can weigh between 40 and 65 kg.
- Skin: they have a very thick skin, formed by a set of tissues or collagen layers that, in total, measure up to 5 cm in thickness.
- Horn: the rhinoceros horn is not an extension of its skull, so it lacks bone compounds. It is made from fibrous keratin tissue, which can grow depending on the sex and age of the animal.
- Vision: rhinos have poor vision, which is not the case with smell and hearing, which they use to a greater extent.
- Digestive system: they have a simple digestive system, which is not divided into chambers, so digestion is done post-gastrically in the large intestine and cecum (early part of the large intestine).
Rhino feeding
Rhinoceros' food is exclusively vegetable, so they are herbivorous animals, which must ingest a high content of vegetable matter to sustain their large bodies. Each species of rhinoceros has a preference for a particular type of food, and some even will cut down trees to consume its greenest and freshest leaves.
O White rhino, for example, has a preference for grasses or non-woody plants, leaves, roots and, if available, may include small woody plants. The black rhinoceros, on the other hand, feeds mainly on shrubs, leaves and low tree branches. The Indian rhinoceros feeds on grasses, leaves, tree branches, riverine plants, fruits and sometimes even crops.
The Javan rhinoceros is capable of felling trees to take advantage of the youngest leaves and also feeds on a wide variety of plants, thanks to their availability in the habitat of this species. It also includes the consumption of fallen fruit. About the Sumatran rhino, he bases his diet on leaves, branches, bark, seeds and small trees.
where rhinos live
Each rhino species lives in a particular habitat that will depend on the region or country in which it is located, and can live in both arid and tropical habitats. In this sense, the white rhinoceros, which inhabits much of northern and southern Africa, is mainly distributed in dry savanna areas, such as pastures, or in wooded savannahs.
The black rhinoceros is also found in Africa, with very small populations or probably extinct in countries like Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique, and the ecosystems in which it normally lives are arid and semi-arid areas.
As for the Indian rhinoceros, it previously had a wider range that included countries such as Pakistan and China, however, due to human pressure and habitat change, it is now restricted to grassland and forest areas in Nepal, Assam and India, as well as the low hills in the Himalayas.
The Javan rhinoceros, on the other hand, inhabits lowland forests, muddy floodplains and high grasslands. Although they were once widespread in Asia, today the small population is restricted to the island of Java. The Sumatran rhinoceros, also with a reduced population (about 300 individuals), can be found in mountainous areas of Malacca, Sumatra and Borneo.
Types of Rhinoceros
Throughout the planet's natural history, there has been a wide variety of rhinos, however, most of them have become extinct. Currently, there are five species of rhinos in the world grouped into four genres. Let's get to know them better:
White rhino
The white rhino (keratotherium simun) belongs to the genus Ceratotherium and is one of the largest species of rhinos. Can exceed more than 4 meters long and 2 meters tall, with a weight of 4 tons or more.
Its color is light gray and it has two horns. Its mouth is flat and is formed by a wide, thick lip, which is adapted to your food in the savanna vegetation.
Two subspecies of the white rhinoceros are recognized: the northern white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum cottoni) and the southern white rhino (keratotherium simum simum). However, the first species is practically extinct. Currently, the white rhino is in the category "almost threatened with extinction", after recovering from the category "almost extinct" due to the terrible indiscriminate hunting that it suffered for years to obtain its horn.
black rhino
The black rhino (Diceros bicorni) is a species belonging to the genus Diceros. It is also native to the African savannah, but its coloration is dark gray and it is smaller than the white rhinoceros. Its mouth is pointed in the shape of a beak, adapted so that it can feed directly on the leaves and branches of the shrubs.. This species reaches an average height of 1.5 meters with a length of over 3 meters, weighing, on average, 1.4 tons.
There is no consensus on the number of existing black rhino subspecies, the most common is to state that there are between four and eight. However, some of the recognized ones are extinct. The black rhinoceros is listed as "critically endangered’.
indian rhinoceros
The Indian Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) belongs to the genus Rhinoceros, is over 3 meters long and almost 2 meters high, and has only one horn. Its skin is silvery brown and its folds of skin give the impression of a protective armor on your body.
A distinctive feature of the Indian Rhinoceros is your ability to swim, it can spend more time in the water than other types of rhino. On the other hand, it is classified as "vulnerable", as it has also been hunted to use its horn in popular rituals and for the creation of objects such as daggers.
Rhino of Java
The Java Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros sonoicus) also belongs to the genus Rhinoceros and has been cataloged as a "critically endangered species", being on the verge of extinction. In fact, the few remaining individuals are located in a protected area of the island.
These animals can measure just over 3 meters in length and almost 2 meters in height, with a weight that can exceed 2 tons. Males have only one horn, while females have a small nub. Its coloration is similar to that of the Indian rhinoceros - silvery brown - but less intense.
Sumatran rhinoceros
The Sumatran Rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis) is the smallest species of rhinoceros that exists and its genus corresponds to Dicerorhinus, being the one with features more primitive than others. It has two horns and more hair than the others.
Males measure a little more than a meter, while females measure less than that and the average weight is 800 pounds. Poaching has led to the Sumatran rhinoceros being considered a "critically endangered" species, as it is also a victim of popular beliefs about the benefits it has on various ailments.
Rhino conservation status
as, in general, all rhino species are in danger of extinction, their lives depend on the increase and pressure of conservation measures; otherwise, extinction will remain the common path for all.
It is necessary to review popular beliefs, as despite being forms of cultural expression, none of them are valid.and threaten the lives of animals, which in many cases causes them to disappear completely. Definitely, this is a job that must be taken on by those who create and apply the laws in different regions of the planet.
In this other article you can know some animals that were extinct by man.
If you want to read more articles similar to Rhinoceroses: types, characteristics and habitat, we recommend that you enter our Curiosities section of the animal world.