9/12/2023 0 Comments Northern white rhinoceros habitat![]() ![]() Its ears can move independently to pick up sounds, but it depends most of all on its sense of smell. White rhinos have a distinctive broad, straight mouth which is used for grazing. It also has a noticeable hump on the back of its neck. The front horn is larger and averages 60 cm (24 in) in length, reaching as much as 150 cm (59 in) but only in females. On its snout it has two horn-like growths, one behind the other. The color of the body ranges from yellowish brown to slate grey. It is the only rhinoceros in which males are noticeably larger than females. The head and body length is from 3.4 to 4 m (11.2 to 13.1 ft), with the tail adding another 70 cm (28 in) and the shoulder height is 160 to 186 cm (5.25 to 6.1 ft). The white rhinoceros is the largest species of rhinoceros. White rhinoceros can live to be up to 50 years old. They usually live near water sources because they generally consume water as often as twice a day. White rhinoceroses are found in grassland and savannah habitat. In the Middle East, daggers with rhino-horn handles are highly valued.ĭespite international treaties currently banning the sale of any rhino products, poaching (illegal hunting) of the animals continues.About 98.5% of white rhinos live in just five countries: South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Kenya and Uganda. For hundreds of years, humans in Asia have used the powder of ground rhino horns in medicines and aphrodisiacs (pronounced af-row-DEEZ-ee-aks drugs or food that stimulate sexual desire). The northern white rhinoceros was driven to the brink of extinction by hunting, specifically for its horns (made of keratin fibers, the same material in human fingernails). Intensive conservation measures were begun and by 1993, the northern white rhinoceros population had increased to 33. Just six years later, only 17 remained in Congo (then Zaire). In 1980, 821 of the animals existed in the wild. The northern white rhinoceros is one of the most endangered animals in Africa. Most northern white rhinoceros live in the Garamba National Park in Congo. Critically endangered, the animal is found only in Congo and southern Sudan in central Africa. The northern white rhinoceros prefers to inhabit open grasslands and savannas that have water available. The mother tends to the calf for two years before chasing it away to live on its own. After a gestation (pregnancy) period of about 16 months, a female gives birth to a single calf. The courtship period may last between 5 and 20 days. Mating can take place any time of the year, but peaks in February and June. Male and female northern white rhinoceroses come together only to mate. Females have larger territories than males. Average feeding territory is about 0.75 square miles (2 square kilometers). They feed in the evening and in the early morning. When no water is available, they roll in dust to keep cool and to keep insects away. ![]() The animals have poor vision, but highly developed senses of hearing and smell.ĭuring the heat of the day, northern white rhinoceroses rest in shady spots. They use their horns to fight over territory and females, to defend themselves against predators such as lions and hyenas, and to dig in the ground for mineral salt. White rhinos have the largest horns of any rhinoceros species, measuring 18 to 48 inches (46 to 122 centimeters) in length. Northern white rhinoceroses have short legs, broad ears, and two horns on their snout (rhinoceros means "horn- nosed"). Despite its large size, the northern white rhinoceros can gallop as fast as 25 miles per hour (40 kilometers per hour). The animal may weigh between 5,000 and 8,000 pounds (2,270 and 3,630 kilograms). Its tail measures 20 to 28 inches (51 to 71 centimeters) long. The second largest land mammal (only elephants are larger), an average northern white rhinoceros has a head and body length of 12 to 13 feet (3.7 to 4 meters) and stands 5 to 6.5 feet (1.5 to 2 meters) tall at its shoulder. The northern white rhinoceros has a large, square-shaped mouth that allows it to graze on short grass. The most common of all rhinos, its population numbers about 7,500. The southern white rhinoceros is found in South Africa, Swaziland, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Two subspecies of white rhinoceroses exist in Africa: the southern white rhinoceros and the northern white rhinoceros. The white rhinoceros is not actually white but light gray in color. However, the word weit was mistranslated as "white," and so the animal is now known as the white rhinoceros. The animal derives its common name from the Afrikaans (language of white South Africans of Dutch descent) word weit, meaning "wide." The reference is to the animal's wide snout. The northern white rhinoceros is also called the northern square-lipped rhinoceros. ![]() Range: Congo, Sudan Description and biology Status: Near threatened (listed along with southern white rhinoceros) IUCN Endangered, ESA ![]()
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