Animals: Mammals White Rhinoceros (original) (raw)

Zoo Name Shaka
Scientific Name _Ceratotherium simum_Classification
Class: Mammalia
Order: Perissodactyla
Family: _Rhinocerotidae_Physical Description
The white rhinoceros is the second largest land animal exceeded only by the elephant. It has a massive body and large head, a short neck and broad chest. The white rhino has stumpy legs with three distinct digits on each foot.

The white rhino's head and body length is 11�14 feet, and its tail is 20�28 inches long. The males weigh 4,400�7,920 pounds, while the females weigh 3,080�3,740 pounds. Their skin color is yellowish brown to slate grey and is hairless except for ear fringes and tail bristles.

The white rhinoceros has two horns. The front (anterior) horn averages 23.6 inches in length and can reach 59 inches, while the rear (posterior) horn is shorter. Horns are composed of compressed keratin fibers, the same material that is found in human fingernails and hair.

The white rhino's skull has a small braincase. Their eyes are set low on the head and are small and farsighted. These rhinos have poor vision. However, their ears are big, highly mobile and move independently. Their auditory as well as their olfactory senses are excellent.

Range
During the 19th century, the white rhinoceros was found in two separate regions of Africa. The first region was southern Chad, Central African Republic, southwest Sudan, northeast Zaire and northwest Uganda; and the second region was southeast Angola, portions of Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, eastern Namibia and northeast South Africa.

Today, the white rhino's range is a tiny portion of this and restricted to game preserves and national parks.

Habitat
In South Africa, the white rhinoceros resides in woodland interspersed with grassy openings. In East Africa, their habitat is open forest and nearby plains.Diet
In the wild, white rhinoceros are grazers and feed on short grasses. They use their broad, flexible lips for cropping.

In the Zoo, white rhinos receive an herbivore pellet formulated to meet their nutritional needs. They also receive as much grass hay as they can eat. Produce, such as apples and carrots, are occasionally offered as a treat or to encourage a desired behavior.

Life Span
Both in the wild and in zoos, white rhinos can live 40�50 years.Reproduction
Females reach sexual maturity at 4�5 years of age, while males are not mature until 10�12 years. Pair bonding may last for 5�20 days and is associated with some chasing and harmless horn clashing. White rhinos breed throughout year.

A single offspring is born after a 16�18 month gestation. The newborn calf weighs 88�143 pounds at birth and is unsteady for the first 2�3 days. Weaning begins at two months but suckling may continue for over 12 months. Females give birth every 2�3 years, and calves are driven off just before parturition. When alarmed, the calf will run ahead of the cow.

Behavior
White rhinos are capable of about 10 vocalizations, which include a panting contact call, grunts and snorts during courtship, squeals of distress, and deep bellows or growls when threatened.

Dominant bulls mark their territory with dung and urination. They drop their dung in well-defined piles and often furrow around them with their horns before scattering the pile. Subordinates do not mark territory. Male territories tend to overlap only slightly, whereas female territorial overlapping is extensive and undefended.

White rhinos will congregate in groups of up to 14 members. Sub-adult males will congregate, often in association with an adult female. A dominant bull will tolerate subordinate males in his territory, but territorial bulls are solitary and will challenge any other male entering his area. Challenges are usually ritualized encounters, involving horn butting or pushing. Serious fighting with ramming or goring only occurs when competing for a female in estrous.

Adaptations
White rhinos four main habitat requirements are flat terrain, thick bush cover, short grass for eating, and water for drinking and wallowing. They can walk through dense, thorny brush strictly by force and can sleep in either standing or recumbent positions.

They like to wallow in mud, which helps both with thermoregulation during extremely hot weather, and helps rid their body of parasites.

White rhinos can easily trot at 15 miles per hour and can reach 25 miles per hour for short distances. They are considered mild-tempered and non-aggressive.