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White Rhinoceros

White Rhinoceros Video


White Rhinoceros
© www.pgoimages.com
Photographer: Per-Gunnar Ostby of www.pgoimages.com


White Rhinoceros
© www.pgoimages.com
Photographer: Per-Gunnar Ostby of www.pgoimages.com

White Rhinoceros Range Map (Central & Southern Africa)
White Rhinoceros Range Map
(Central & Southern Africa)

White Rhinoceros
White Rhinoceros at South Lakes Wild Animal Park, Dalton-in-Furness, UK
© theanimalfiles.com

White Rhinoceros
White Rhinoceros at South Lakes Wild Animal Park, Dalton-in-Furness, UK
© theanimalfiles.com
Latin Name Ceratotherium simum
Conservation Status Near Threatened
Location Central & Southern Africa
Colour Grey
Length 3.7 - 4 m (12 - 13 ft)
Tail 70 cm (28 inches)
Weight Up to 2.3 tonnes (2.25 tons)
Life Expectancy 40 - 50 Yrs

Main Characteristics

The White Rhinoceros is one of the largest land living animals. They have a body length between 3.7 and 4 m (12 - 13 ft), a tail length of 70 cms (28 inches) and they weigh up to 2.3 tonnes (2.25 tons).

They have a huge body, a large head and a broad chest. On the back of their neck they have a large hump and they have short, stocky legs with three toes on each foot.

White Rhinos are coloured a pale grey and they only have hair on their ear fringes and tail bristles. They have a distinctive broad, flat mouth which enables them to graze efficiently.

White Rhinos have two large horns on their snout. They are made from keratin fibres, which is the same substance that hair is made from, and they grow out of their skin rather than being joined on to their skull. The front (anterior) horn is larger and it measures between 94 and 150 cms (37 - 60 inches). The rear (posterior) horn is smaller and can measure up to 55 cms (22 inches).

White Rhinos have bad eyesight, good hearing, and a very good sense of smell. The olfactory passages, that are responsible for the sense of smell, are larger than the Rhino's entire brain.

White Rhinos enjoy mud baths and during times of peak heat they can be found wallowing in mud. The mud cools them down and also helps to get rid of ectoparasites.

Habitat

The White Rhinoceros is found on grasslands and savannahs of central and southern Africa.

Dominant White Rhino adult males are mostly solitary and they mark their territory with dung, urine and scrapes in the ground.

Adult females and subordinate males will often congregate in groups of up to 14 individuals. Their territory will overlap with territories of others.

The size of a territory will vary according to resources but they tend to be between 0.75 and 8 Kms (0.5 - 5 miles).

Diet

The diet of a White Rhinoceros consists of grass and they are one of the largest pure grazers. They will drink twice a day if water is available, but if it isn't they are able to go for 4 - 5 days without drinking.

Breeding

After a gestation period of 16 - 18 months, the White Rhinoceros will give birth to one calf. At birth the calf will weigh between 40 and 65 Kgs (88 - 143 lbs).

The calf will start to be weaned at 2 months old but it may continue to suckle from its mother for over 12 months.

The White Rhinoceros has a birthing interval of 2 - 3 years and the mother will chase away the older calf before a new one is born.

Females reach sexual maturity at 4 - 5 years of age, but males take much longer, reaching sexual maturity at 10 - 12 years of age.

Predators

Humans are the only predators to the White Rhinoceros.

Subspecies

There are two subspecies of White Rhinoceros:

Northern White Rhinoceros
(Ceratotherium simum cottoni)
They are only found in the Democratic Republic of Congo and they are considered critically endangered - there are less than 20 left in the wild.

Southern White Rhinoceros
(Ceratotherium simum simum)

Interesting Facts

The White Rhinoceros is also known as:
Rhino
White Rhino
Square Lipped Rhinoceros
Square Lipped Rhino

The White Rhinoceros is the most common Rhinoceros in the world.

It is thought that the name White Rhinoceros was arrived at by mistake as the "white" comes from the Afrikaans word for "wide".

White Rhinos can reach galloping speeds of up to 40 Km/hr (25 mph) and they can maintain speeds of up to 30 Km/hr (18 mph) for 3 Kms (2 miles).

Similar Animals

Indian Rhinoceros
Black Rhinoceros
Sumatran Rhinoceros
Javan Rhinoceros

 


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