Information about Black Rhino

Black Rhinoceros
Conservation status
Critically endangered (IUCN)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Perissodactyla Family: Rhinocerotidae Genus: Diceros Species: D. bicornis
Binomial name
Diceros bicornis Linnaeus, 1758
Black Rhinoceros range Black Rhinoceros range
Subspecies
Diceros bicornis michaeli Diceros bicornis longipes Diceros bicornis minor Diceros bicornis bicornis

The Black Rhinoceros, Diceros bicornis also colloquially Black Rhino is a mammal in the order Perissodactyla, native to the eastern and central areas of Africa including Kenya, Tanzania, Cameroon, South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe. Although the Rhino is referred to as a "Black" creature, it is actually more of a grey-white color in appearance.

The name of the species was chosen to distinguish it from the White Rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum). This is very misleading, as those two species are not really distinguishable by colour. The word "White" in name "White Rhinoceros" deriving from the Afrikaans word for "wide" rather than the color white.

The World Conservation Union (IUCN) announced on 7 July 2006 that one of the four subspecies, the West African Black Rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis longipes), has been tentatively declared as extinct.^[1]

Taxonomy and naming

Subspecies

There are four subspecies of the black rhinoceros:

• South-central (Diceros bicornis minor) which are the most numerous, and once ranged from central Tanzania south through Zambia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique to northern and eastern South Africa.
• South-western (Diceros bicornis bicornis) which are better adapted to the arid and semi-arid savannas of Namibia, southern Angola, western Botswana and western South Africa.
• East African (Diceros bicornis michaeli) which had a historic distribution from south Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia down through Kenya into north-central Tanzania. Today, its range is limited primarily to Tanzania.
• West African (Diceros bicornis longipes) is the rarest and most endangered subspecies. Historically, it once occurred across most of the west African savanna. Until recently, only a few individuals survived in northern Cameroon, but on July 8 2006 the World Conservation Union declared the subspecies to be tentatively extinct.^[1]

The CBBC television programme Serious Desert featured eight young people tracking South-western black rhinoceros in the Namib Desert near the Skeleton Coast.

Description

An adult Black Rhinoceros stands 147–160 cm (57.9–63 inches) high at the shoulder and is 3.3-3.6 m (10.8–11.8 feet) in length. An adult male Black Rhinoceros may have a penis that can be as long as 2.3 ft. long. The female Black Rhinoceros does not look for these types of features in a male, much like humans.^[1] An adult weighs from 800 to 1400 kg (1,760 to 3,080 lb), exceptionally to 1820 kg (4,000 lb), with the females being smaller than the males. Two horns on the skull are made of keratin with the larger front horn typically 50 cm long, exceptionally up to 140 cm. Sometimes, a third smaller horn may develop. These horns are used for defense, intimidation, and digging up roots and breaking branches during feeding. Skin color depends more on local soil conditions and the rhinoceros' wallowing behavior than anything else, so many black rhinos are typically not truly black in color. The Black Rhino is much smaller than the White Rhino, and has a pointed mouth, which they use to grasp leaves and twigs when feeding. White Rhinoceros have square lips used for eating grass. The Black Rhinoceros can also be recognized from the White Rhinoceros by its smaller skull and ears. Black Rhinoceros also do not have a distinguishing shoulder hump like the White Rhinoceros.

Their thick layered skin protects the rhino from thorns and sharp grasses. Although their skin harbors many external parasites, such as crabs, which are eaten by oxpeckers and egrets that live with the rhino. They have terrible eyesight relying more on hearing and smell. It has large ears that rotate much like satellite dishes to detect any sound and a large nose that has an excellent sense of smell to detect predators.

Distribution

For most of the 20th century the continental black rhino was the most numerous of all rhino species. Around 1900 there were probably several hundred thousand^[2] living in Africa. During the later half of the 20th century their number severely reduced from an estimated 70,000^[3] in the late 1960s to only 10,000 to 15,000 in 1981. In the early 1990s the number dipped below 2500, and in 1995 it was reported that only 2,410 black rhinos remained. According to the International Rhino Foundation, the total African population has since then slightly recovered to 3,610 by 2003.^[4] According to a July 2006 report by the World Conservation Union, a recent survey of the West African Black Rhino, which once ranged across the savannahs of western Africa but had dropped to just 10, concluded the subspecies to be extinct. ^[5] The northern white is soon to join the western black rhino on the extinction list as its last noted numbers were as few as 4. The only rhino that has recovered somewhat from the brink of extinction is the southern white whose numbers now are estimated around 14,500, up from only 50 a century ago.^[6] The Black Rhinoceros has been pushed to the brink of extinction by illegal poaching for their horn and by loss of habitat. The horn is used in traditional Chinese medicine, and is said by herbalists to be able to revive comatose patients and cure fevers.^[7] The purported effectiveness of the use of rhino horn in treating any illness has not been confirmed by medical science. In June of 2007, the first-ever documented case of the medicinal sale of black rhino horn in the United States (confirmed by genetic testing of the confiscated horn) occurred at a TCM supply store in Portland, Oregon's Chinatown.^[7] It is used in the Middle East to make ornately carved handles for ceremonial daggers called jambiyas. Demand for these exploded in the 1970s causing the Black Rhinoceros population to decline 96% between 1970 and 1992.

Behavior and ecology

The Black Rhinoceros is a herbivorous browser that eats leafy plants, branches, shoots, thorny wood bushes and fruit. Their diet helps to reduce the amount of woody plants which results in more grasses growing for the benefit of other animals. Its been known to eat up to 220 different species of plant. It can live up to 5 days without water during drought. Black Rhinos live in primarily grasslands, savannahs and tropical bushland habitats.

They browse for food in the morning and evening. In the hottest part of the day they are most inactive spent resting, sleeping and wallowing in the mud. Wallowing is an essential part of all rhino species lives. It helps cool down their body temperature during the day and protects against parasites. If mud is not available they will resort to wallowing in dust. Drinking water is most commonly done towards the afterhours.

Solitary animals with the exception of coming together to mate, mothers and calfs will sometimes congregate in small groups for short periods of time. Males are not as sociable as females, although they will sometimes allow the presence of other rhinos. They are not very territorial and often intersect other rhino territories. Home ranges vary depending on season and the availability of food and water. Generally they have smaller home ranges and larger density in habitats that have plenty of food and water available, and vice versa if resources are not readily available. In the Serengeti home ranges are around 43 to 133 km², while in the Ngorongoro it is between 2.6 to 44 km². Black Rhinos have also been observed to have a certain area they tend to visit and rest frequently called "houses" which are usually on a high ground level.

The Black Rhino has a reputation for being extremely aggressive. Due to their very poor eyesight they will charge if they sense a threat. They have even been observed to charge tree trunks and termite mounds. Black Rhinoceros are not very aggressive towards others of their species, usually only bluffing aggression. Males will fight sometimes by pushing head to head or horn jousting. They usually avoid other males when possible. Females are not aggressive towards each other.

Black Rhinoceros follow the same trails as elephants use to get from foraging areas to water holes. They also use smaller trails when they are browsing. They are very fast and can get up to speeds of 35 miles per hour running on their toes.

Communication

Many forms of communication are exhibited by these animals. Due to their bad eyesight and solitary nature, scent marking is often used to identify other Black Rhinos. Urine spraying occurs on bushes, around water holes and feeding areas. Females urine spray more often when receptive for breeding. Defecation occurs in the same spot used by many different rhinos found around feeding stations, watering tracks, and other areas. These are very important for identifying each other. Coming upon these spots, rhinos will smell to see who is in the area and add their own marking. Less commonly they will rub their head or horn against tree trunks to scent mark.

Different types of complex vocalizations have also been observed. Growls and trumpets may be used during a fight. A long snort indicates anger, while sneeze-like calls are used as an alarm to danger. Short snorts with pricked ears and wrinkled nostrils are a startled reaction to a newcomer. A high-pitched wonk has been described for when they are fearful. Even worse is a high-pitched scream observed in times of terror. "Mmwonk", a deep, resonant sound is a sign of contentment. Squeak, done with different tones and intonations can mean "I'm lost", "Where are you?", "I'm over here", and other emotions that are not yet understood. Breathing speeds can be used to communicate greetings, anxiety, and reassurance. A puffing snort is a common greeting when males and females encounter one another.

Body language is the least important of Black Rhinoceros communications. A bull will sometimes display an aggressive ritual towards a potential rival. They will smell, spray repeatedly, scrape, trample, and bash with their heads in bushes. They may also snort in an attack posture. When their tail is up, it may indicate one of several things: curiosity, alarm, or sexual receptivity. Erect ears also indicate curiosity, though flat ears express anger.

Reproduction

The adults are solitary in nature, coming together only for mating. Mating does not have a seasonal pattern but births tend to be towards the end of the rainy season in drier environments.

When in season the females will scrape their vages more vigorously with dung piles. Males following females that are in season will follow her; when she defecates he will scrape and spread the dung, making it more difficult for any other adult males to pick up her scent trail.

Courtship behaviors before mating include snorting and sparring with the horns among males. Another courtship behavior is called bluff and bluster, where the rhino will snort and swing its head from side to side aggressively before running away repeatedly. Breeding pairs stay together for 2–3 days and sometimes even weeks. They mate several times a day over this time and copulation lasts for a half an hour.

The gestation period is 15–16 months. The single calf weighs about 35–50 kg at birth, and can follow its mother around after just three days. Weaning occurs at around 2 years of age for the offspring. The mother and calf stay together for 2–3 years until the next calf is born; female calves may stay longer, forming small groups. The young are occasionally taken by hyenas and lions. Sexual maturity is reached from 5–7 years old for females, and 7–8 years for males. The life expectancy in natural conditions (without poaching pressure) is from 35 – 50 years.^[1]

Footnotes

References

• id="CITEREFEmslie1999">Emslie, R. and Brooks, M. (1999), African Rhino. Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan., IUCN/SSC African Rhino Specialist Group. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK, ISBN 2831705029
  • id="CITEREFRookmaaker2005">Rookmaaker, L. C. (2005), "Review of the European perception of the African rhinoceros", Journal of Zoology 265 (4): 365–376, DOI 10.1017/S0952836905006436

    External links

    • ARKive - images and movies of the black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis)
    • The International Rhino Foundation dedicated to the conservation of rhinos http://www.rhinos-irf.org/
    • Black Rhinos Fact Sheet; developed for the San Diego Zoological Society Intranet. Retrieved on 2007-10-09.
    • Black Rhinoceros. Zoological Parks Board of New South Wales. Retrieved on 2007-10-09.
    • www.savetherhino.org
    • www.dottyrhino.com- Animated website for kids. Meet Dotty Rhino & her friends who live in Mkomazi, a real-life game reserve in Africa.
    • U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Species Profile
    • TV Show "MacGyver" episode (S05E8), dedicated to subject by creators of TV Show "MacGyver" and leading actor, Richard Dean Anderson.
    conservation status of a species is an indicator of the likelihood of that species continuing to survive either in the present day or the future. Many factors are taken into account when assessing the conservation status of a species: not simply the number remaining, but the
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    critically endangered have an extremely high risk of becoming extinct.

    IUCN Category

    The World Conservation Union (IUCN), widely considered to be the most objective and authoritative system for classifying species in terms of the risk of extinction^[1]
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    IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data List), created in 1963, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of plant and animal species.
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    Scientific classification or biological classification is a method by which biologists group and categorize species of organisms. Scientific classification also can be called scientific taxonomy, but should be distinguished from folk taxonomy, which lacks scientific basis.
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    Chordata
    Bateson, 1885
    
    Typical Classes
    
    See below
    
    Chordates (phylum Chordata) are a group of animals that includes the vertebrates, together with several closely related invertebrates.
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    Mammalia
    Linnaeus, 1758
    
    Subclasses & Infraclasses
    

    • Subclass †Allotheria*
    • Subclass Prototheria
    • Subclass Theria

    
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    Perissodactyla
    Owen, 1848
    
    Families
    
    Equidae
    Tapiridae
    Rhinocerotidae
    Brontotheriidae (extinct)
    Chalicotheriidae (extinct)
    Hyracodontidae (extinct)
    Palaeotheriidae (extinct)
    Amynodontidae (extinct)
    
    The odd-toed ungulates
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    Rhinocerotidae
    Gray, 1821
    
    Extant Genera
    
    Ceratotherium
    Dicerorhinus
    Diceros
    Rhinoceros
    Extinct genera, see text
    The rhinoceros (IPA:
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    binomial nomenclature is the formal system of naming species. The system is also called binominal nomenclature (particularly in zoological circles), binary nomenclature (particularly in botanical circles), or the binomial classification system.
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    Carolus Linnaeus (Carl von Linné)
    
    Carl von Linné, Alexander Roslin, 1775. Currently owned by and hanging at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.
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    D. b. michaeli
    
    Trinomial name
    Diceros bicornis michaeli
    Zukowsky, 1965
    
    The Eastern Black Rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis michaeli) also known as the East African Black Rhinoceros is a subspecies of the Black Rhino.
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    D. b. longipes
    
    Trinomial name
    Diceros bicornis longipes
    Zukowsky, 1949
    
    The Western Black Rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis longipes) or West African Black Rhinoceros
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    D. b. minor
    
    Trinomial name
    Diceros bicornis minor
    Drummond, 1876
    
    The South-central Black Rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis minor) is a subspecies of the Black Rhinoceros.
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    D. b. bicornis
    
    Trinomial name
    Diceros bicornis bicornis
    Linnaeus, 1758
    
    The South-western Black Rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis bicornis) is a subspecies of the Black Rhinoceros.
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    Mammalia
    Linnaeus, 1758
    
    Subclasses & Infraclasses
    

    • Subclass †Allotheria*
    • Subclass Prototheria
    • Subclass Theria

    
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    Perissodactyla
    Owen, 1848
    
    Families
    
    Equidae
    Tapiridae
    Rhinocerotidae
    Brontotheriidae (extinct)
    Chalicotheriidae (extinct)
    Hyracodontidae (extinct)
    Palaeotheriidae (extinct)
    Amynodontidae (extinct)
    
    The odd-toed ungulates
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    Motto
    "Harambee"   (Swahili)
    "Let us all pull together"
    Anthem
    Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu
    "Oh God of All Creation"
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    Motto
    "Uhuru na Umoja"   (Swahili)
    "Freedom and Unity"
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    Mungu ibariki Afrika
    "God Bless Africa"
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    "Peace - Work - Fatherland"
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    Motto
    "Unity, Liberty, Justice"
    Anthem
    Namibian Anthem )
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    Ceratotherium
    
    Species: C. simum
    
    Binomial name
    Ceratotherium simum
    Burchell, 1817
    
    

    
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    Afrikaans}}} 
    Official status
    Official language of:
    

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    D. b. longipes
    
    Trinomial name
    Diceros bicornis longipes
    Zukowsky, 1949
    
    The Western Black Rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis longipes) or West African Black Rhinoceros
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