BLACK RHINO
- Diceros bicornis
-
3 surviving subspecies D.b. bicornis (south western subspecies), D.b.minor (south eastern subspecies and D.b.michaeli (east African subspecies)
- Diceros
- from the Greek di, meaning 'two' and ceros, meaning 'horn'
- bicornis
- from the Latin bi, meaning 'two' and cornis, meaning 'horn'
- POPULATION
- 3,610
- HABITAT
- Grasslands, savannahs and tropical bushlands in Africa
- Weight
- 800 - 1,350 kg
- Height
- 1.4 - 1.7 m tall at shoulder
- Length
- 3.0-3.8m length of head and body
- Horn
- Two. There are two horns. The front, larger (anterior) measures 0.5 - 1.3 m long. The rear (posterior) horn is smaller and measures 2 to 55 cm long.
- undefined
- Subspecies
- 4
- HABITAT
- The black rhino lives in Africa, primarily in grasslands, savannahs and tropical bushlands.
- Ecology
- The black rhino is a browser, i.e. it consumes leaves and branches of shrubs and trees. As an adaptation for browsing, the upper lip is prehensile and is the species' most distinguishing characteristic.
- Longevity
- 30-35 years in the wild 35-45+ years in captivity
- GESTATION
- Gestation period is approximately 15 to 16 months. Birth intervals of a single calf, every 2.5 to 4 years.
- Sexual Maturity
- Females at 4 to 7 years; Males at 7 to 10 years
- SOCIAL STRUCTURE
- Adult females have overlapping ranges and hence are not as solitary as is commonly portrayed. Males are usually solitary and territorial but do join up with known individuals in its territory including other males. Home range size varies greatly, depending on the habitat and to some extent on sex and age. (IUCN rhino specialist workgroup)
|
