White Rhinoceros

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iWhite Rhinoceros
A grazing white rhinoceros.
A grazing white rhinoceros.
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Perissodactyla
Family: Rhinocerotidae
Genus: Ceratotherium
Species: C. simum
Binomial name
Ceratotherium simum
Burchell, 1817
The White Rhinoceros original range (orange: Northern (C. s. cottoni), green: Southern (C. s. simum)).
The White Rhinoceros original range (orange: Northern (C. s. cottoni), green: Southern (C. s. simum)).
Subspecies

Ceratotherium simum simum
Ceratotherium simum cottoni

The White Rhinoceros or Square-lipped rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum) is one of the five species of rhinoceros that still exists and is one of the few megafauna species left. Behind the elephant, this is probably the most massive remaining land animal in the world, along with the Indian Rhinoceros which is around the same size as the White Rhinoceros. It is well known for its wide mouth used for grazing and being the most social of all rhino species. The White Rhino is the most common of all rhinos although their subspecies population are very different from one another, (The northern subspecies is the rarest rhino taxa while the southern subspecies is the most common rhino taxa).

Contents

[edit] Subspecies

[edit] Southern white rhinoceros

A mother White rhino and her several year old daughter grazing in Matobo National Park, Zimbabwe.
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A mother White rhino and her several year old daughter grazing in Matobo National Park, Zimbabwe.

There are two subspecies of White Rhinos; as of 2005, South Africa has the most of the first subspecies, The Southern White Rhino (Ceratotherium simum simum). Their population is about 11,000, making them the most abundant subspecies of rhino in the world. Wild-caught southern whites will readily breed in captivity given appropriate amounts of space and food, as well as the presence of other female rhinos of breeding age. For instance, 91 calves have been born at the San Diego Wild Animal Park since 1972. However, for reasons that are not currently understood, the rate of reproduction is extremely low among captive-born southern white females.[1]

There are also two White Rhinos in Livingstone, Zambia (in the Mosi-o-tunia zoological park).

[edit] Northern white rhinoceros

The Northern White Rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum cottoni), formerly found in several countries in East and Central Africa south of the Sahara, is considered Critically Endangered, while its southern relative is currently the most abundant of all rhino taxa known today. Their wild population has been reduced from about 500 in the 1970s to only about four today. [2]

[edit] Name

Wide lips distinguish the white rhino
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Wide lips distinguish the white rhino

The name White Rhino originated in South Africa where the Afrikaans language developed from the Dutch language. The Afrikaans word "wyd" (derived from the Dutch word "wijd"), which means "wide", referred to the width of the Rhinoceros mouth. Early English settlers in South Africa misinterpreted the "wyd" for "white". So the rhino with the wide mouth ended up being called the White Rhino and the other one, with the narrow pointed mouth, was called the Black Rhinoceros. The wide mouth was adapted to cropping large swaths of grass, while the narrow mouth was adapted to eating leaves on bushes. A White Rhino's skin color is quite similar to that of the Black Rhino. An alternative common name for the white rhinoceros, more accurate but rarely used, is the square-lipped rhinoceros. The White Rhinoceros' genus, Ceratotherium, appropriately means "horned beast". The White Rhinoceros' epithet, simum, is from the Greek simus, meaning "flat nosed" Simum also means a sand storm.

[edit] Physical Description

The White Rhino has a massive body and large head, a short neck and broad chest. The average size range of a mature rhino is a weight of 1800-3000 kg (4000-6600 lb), a head-and-body length of 3.35-4.2 m (11-13.9 feet) and a shoulder height of 150-185 cm (60-73 inches). The record-sized White Rhinoceros was about 3600 kg. On its snout it has two horns made of keratin fibers (not bone, as in deer antlers). The same material that makes up human fingernails and hair. The front horn is larger that the other horn and aveages 23.6 inches in length and can reach 59 inches. The White Rhinoceros also has a noticeable hump on the back of its neck which supports its large head. Each of the rhino's four stumpy feet has three toes. Color of this animal ranges from yellowish brown to slate grey. The only hair on them is on the ear fringes and tail bristles. Also White Rhinos have the distinctive flat broad mouth which is used for grazing.

It has terrible eyesight like all rhinos. Ears can move independetley so they can pick up more sounds but really they depend most of all on smell. Their olfactory passages which are responsiable for smell are larger than their entire brain.

[edit] Behavior and Ecology

They are found in grassland and savanah habitat. Herbivores grazers that eats grass, prefering the shortest grains. The White Rhino is one of the largest pure grazers to walk the earth. Regulary it drinks twice a day if water is avaliabe, but if conditions get dry it can potentially live four or five days without any water. Thought to be mild tempered and non agressive but shouldnt be messed around with. It spends about half of the day eating, one third resting and the rest of the day doing various other things. White Rhinos like all species of rhino love wallowing in mudholes to cool down.

White Rhinos enjoying a wallow in the mud.
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White Rhinos enjoying a wallow in the mud.

White rhinos can produce around 10 sounds, which include a panting contact call, grunts and snorts during courtship, squeals of distress, and deep bellows or growls when threatened. Threat displays (in males mostly) include wiping its horn on the ground and a head-low posture with ears back, combined with snarl threats and shrieking if attacked. Can reach speeds of 18 mph which it can maintain for up to 2 miles, and a galloping speed of 25 mph.

White Rhinos can live in groups of up to 14 animals (usually mostly female). Sub-adult males will congregate, often in association with an adult female. Most adult bulls are solitary. Dominant bulls mark their territory with excriments and urine. The dung is laid in well defined piles. It may have 20-30 of these piles to alert passing rhinos that its his territory. Another way of marking their territoy is wiping his horns on bushes or the ground and scrapes with its feet before uring spraying. They do this around 10 times an hour while patrolling his territory. The same ritual as urine marking except without spraying is also commonly used. The territorial male will scrape-mark every 30 yards or so around its territory boundry. Subordinate males on the other hand do not mark territory. Although dominant males allow subordinate males in his territory but will challenge him with some horn butting or pushing but nothing extremley serious. The most serious fights breakout over mating rights over a female. Female territory is overlapped extensivley and they do not denfend it.

[edit] Reproduction

Females reach sexually maturity 4-5 years while males reach sexual maturity at a later date which is 10-12 years of age. Coutship is often a difficult affair. The male stays beyond the point were the female acts agressivley and will give out a call when aproaching her. The male chases and or blocks the way of the female while squealing or loud-wailing if the female tries to leave his territory. When ready to mate the female curls its tail and gets into a stiff stance during the half hour copulation. Breeding pairs stay together between 5-20 days before they part their seperate ways. Gestation occurs around 16-18 months. A single calf is born and weighs between 88 and 143 pounds and are unsteady for their first 2 to 3 days of life. When threatend the baby will run in front of the mother. The mother is very protective of her calf and will fight for her baby vigorously. Weaning starts at 2 months and may continue suckling for over 12 months. The birth interval for the White Rhino is between 2 and 3 years. Before giving birth the mother will chase off her current calf. White Rhinos can live up to 40-50 years old.

[edit] Population and Threats

The northern subspecies is now only found in the Democratic Republic of Congo while the southern subspecies or majority of white rhino live in South Africa. 98.9% of white rhino occur in just four countries (South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Kenya). Almost decimated to the brink of extinction in early 20th century they have made a tremondous comeback. In 2001 it was estimated that there was 11,670 white rhino in the wild with a further 777 in captivity worldwide making it the most common Rhino in the world.

Like the Black Rhino, the White Rhino is under threat from habitat loss and poaching, most recently by an offshoot of the janjaweed. The horn is mostly used for tradtional medicine although there are no health benefits from the horn. Poaching also has occured for jambiyas which is a dagger used in the middle east. A recent population count in the Congo turned up only 10 rhinos left in the wild, which led conservationists in January 2005 to propose airlifting White Rhinos from Garamba into Kenya. Although official approval was initially obtained, resentment of foreign interference within the Congo has prevented the airlift from happening as of the beginning of 2006.

[edit] Gallery

[edit] References

  • African Rhino Specialist Group (2003). Ceratotherium simum. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is near threatened
  1. ^ Swaisgood, Ron. "Scientific Detective Work in Practice: Trying to Solve the Mystery of Poor Captive-born White Rhinocerous Reproduction", CRES Report, Zoological Society of San Diego, Summer 2006, pp. 1-3.
  2. ^ International Rhino Foundation. 2002. Rhino Information - Northern White Rhino. Downloaded from [1] at 19 September 2006.

[edit] External links