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Scientific Name: Diceros bicornis
Common Name: Black Rhinoceros
Distribution: Kenya, Tanzania, Namibia, Zambia, and
South Africa.
Description: Black rhinos have a prehensile upper lip
which they use to gather leaf and woody plant browsing
Difference in Sex: Females slightly larger than bulls
Average Weight: 1100 kg
Habitat: Wide habitat tolerance provided there are
shrubs and trees for browsing and dense thickets for resting.
Habits: Black rhinos frequently wallow in shallow water
holes. The water may help cool the rhinos, and the rhinos coat themselves in
mud, probably to gain a protective coating against biting flies. Black rhinos
have sedentary, overlapping home ranges. Males are probably territorial, but
they will tolerate the presence of subordinate males. Females with calves
generally stay alone, but they sometimes allow attachment of an abandoned
juvenile. Rhinos associate at group wallows and will form loose aggregations of
up to 13 individuals. Black rhinos are unpredictable and can be dangerous. They
have poor eyesight but an excellent sense of smell and will often charge humans,
vehicles and campsites if they detect human scent. Most of these charges are
bluffs, but black rhinos can do serious damage with their horns.
Main feeding time: Nocturnal and diurnal
Size: The black rhino head-body length is 300-375cm,
tail length is 70cm, and shoulder height is 140-180cm.
Gestation: 15 months
Number of young at birth: Single calf
Communication: Mostly by scent but do make snorts,
grunts, puffs and squeals.
Age: up to 42 years
Diet: Browsers eating leaves, twigs, shoots and
occasionally
Enemies: Very young may be taken by lions. Sadly the
biggest danger to the rhino are mankind, due to poaching.
Interesting facts:
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