Information about White Rhino

White Rhinoceros
White rhinoceros, on the prowl
Conservation status
Near Threatened [1]
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 exist and is one of the few megafauna species left. Behind the elephant, it is probably the most massive remaining land animal in the world, along with the Indian Rhinoceros which is of comparable size. It is well known for its wide mouth used for grazing and for being the most social of all rhino species. The White Rhino is the most common of all rhinos and consists of two subspecies, with the northern subspecies being rarer than the southern. The northern subspecies may have as few as 50 remaining world wide.

Taxonomy and naming

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 colour is 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' generic name, Ceratotherium, is derived from the Greek terms keras "horn" and therion "beast". The specific epithet, simum, is derived from the Greek term simus, meaning "flat nosed".

Southern white rhinoceros

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 11,600, 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.^[2]

There were also two White Rhinos in Livingstone, Zambia (in the Mosi-o-tunia zoological park). They were both poached during the night of June 6th, 2007. One was shot dead and dehorned not far from the gate and the other received serious bullet wounds.

Northern white rhinoceros

Main article: 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. Their wild population has been reduced from about 500 in the 1970s to only about four today. ^[3]

According to BBC, there are only thirteen northern white rhinos left in the world as of 2007. ^[4]

Description

The White Rhino has a massive body and large head, a short neck and broad chest. This rhino can exceed 6000 pounds, have 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, rather than bone as in deer antlers. The front horn is larger that the other horn and averages 89.9 cm (23.6 inches) in length and can reach 150 cm (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. The colour of this animal ranges from yellowish brown to slate grey. The only hair on them is on the ear fringes and tail bristles. White Rhinos have the distinctive flat broad mouth which is used for grazing.

Its ears can move independently to pick up more sounds but it depends most of all on smell. The olfactory passages which are responsible for smell are larger than their entire brain.

Behaviour and ecology

They are found in grassland and savannah habitat. Herbivores grazers that eats grass, preferring the shortest grains. The White Rhino is one of the largest pure grazers. Regularly it drinks twice a day if water is available, but if conditions get dry it can live four or five days without water. 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 can produce 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. The White Rhino is quick and agile and can run 30 mph.

White Rhinos can live in a crash or herd 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 excrement and urine. The dung is laid in well defined piles. It may have 20-30 of these piles to alert passing rhinos that it's his territory. Another way of marking their territory is wiping his horns on bushes or the ground and scrapes with its feet before urine spraying. They do this around 10 times an hour while patrolling 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 boundary. Subordinate males do not mark territory. The most serious fights break out over mating rights over a female. Female territory is overlapped extensively and they do not defend it.

Reproduction

Females reach sexually maturity 4-5 years while males reach sexual maturity at a later date which is 10-12 years of age. Courtship is often a difficult affair. The male stays beyond the point were the female acts aggressively and will give out a call when approaching 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 separate 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.

Distribution

The northern subspecies is now only found in the Republic of Congo while the southern subspecies or majority of white rhino live in South Africa. 98.5% of white rhino occur in just four countries (S.A, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Kenya). Almost Broken up to the edge of extinction in the early 20th century, they have made a tremendous comeback. In 2001 it was estimated that there were 11,670 white rhinos in the wild with a further 777 detained 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 Janjaweed. The horn is mostly used for traditional medicine although there are no health benefits from the horn,the horn is also used for traditional necklaces. A recent population count in the Republic Congo turned up only 10 rhinos left in the wild, which led conservationists in January 15 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. On June 12, 2007 poachers shot the last 2 rhinos in Zambia, injuring one and killing the other. They have removed the horn off the dead rhino.

Distribution of Northern White Rhino

The White Rhino (Ceratotherium simum cottoni), formerly ranged over parts of north-western Uganda, southern Chad, south-western Sudan, the eastern part of Central African Republic, and north-eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) ^[5]. The only confirmed population today occurs in north-eastern DRC.

Poachers reduced their population from 500 to 15 in the 1970s and 1980s. By the early 1990s through mid 2003 the population recovered to more than 32 animals. Surveys in 2000 indicated that the population has started recovering with 30 animals confirmed in 2000 with up to a possible six others ^[6]. Since mid 2003, poaching has intensified and reduced the wild population to only 5 to 10 animals.^[7]

Garamba National Park

The last surviving population of wild Northern white rhinos are all located in Garamba National Park, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Recent civil wars and disruptions have been cause for much concern about the status of this last surviving population.^[7]

In January 2005, the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) approved a two-part plan for the translocation of five northern white rhino from Garamba National Park to a wildlife sanctuary in Kenya. The second part commits the Government and its international partners to increase conservation efforts in Garamba, so that the northern white rhinos can be returned when it is safe again.^[8] The translocation has not occurred yet.

In August 2005, ground and aerial surveys conducted under the direction of African Parks Foundation and the African Rhino Specialist Group (ARSG) have only found four animals. A solitary adult male and a group of one adult male and two adult females. Efforts to locate further animals continue.^[8]

White rhinos in zoos

Most white rhinos in zoos are southern white rhinos. The San Diego Wild Animal Park in San Diego, California, U.S.A. had three Northern White Rhinos ^[7], all of which were wild-caught. Only a female named Nola, and a male named Angalifu remain after the second female, Nadi, died in late May 2007 from what was believed to be old age. Nola is not fertile, and Nadi was not behaviorally receptive, so this captive population is not breeding.

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

  External links

  • White Rhino Pictures on the Rhino Resource Center website.
  • White Rhino entry on International Rhino Foundation website.
  • White Rhino entry on World Wide Fund for Nature website.
  • White Rhinoceros entry on IUCN Red List.
  • Honolulu Zoo
  • San Diego Zoo
  • Philadelphia Zoo
  • Nature-Wildlife
  • Wildlife Chronicles
  • Narrated video about the White Rhinoceros
  • White Rhino description
  • First test tube White Rhinoceros born at Budapest Zoo
  • Poachers kill one of last two white rhinos in Zambia
  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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  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
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  Perissodactyla
  Owen, 1848
  
  Families
  
  Equidae
  Tapiridae
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  Brontotheriidae (extinct)
  Chalicotheriidae (extinct)
  Hyracodontidae (extinct)
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  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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  William John Burchell (23 July, 1781 Fulham, London - 23 March, 1863 Fulham) was an English explorer, naturalist, traveller, artist and author. He was the son of Matthew Burchell, botanist and owner of Fulham Nursery.
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  C. simum
  
  Subspecies: 'C. s. simum''
  
  Trinomial name
  Ceratotherium simum simum
  Burchell, 1817
  
  

  Range map in green

  
  
  The
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  Ceratotherium
  
  Species: C. simum
  
  Subspecies: 'C. s. cottoni''
  
  Trinomial name
  Ceratotherium simum cottoni
  (Lydekker, 1908)
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  Rhinocerotidae
  Gray, 1821
  
  Extant Genera
  
  Ceratotherium
  Dicerorhinus
  Diceros
  Rhinoceros
  Extinct genera, see text
  The rhinoceros (IPA:
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  Megafauna are species of large animals (Greek μεγας, large, + modern Latin fauna, animal). The standard definition includes animals with an average body weight exceeding 100 lb (44 kg) ^[1][2][3].
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  Elephantidae
  Gray, 1821
  
  Subfamilia
  

  • See Classification
    

  The elephants (Elephantidae) are a family in the order Proboscidea in the class Mammalia.
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  R. unicornis
  
  Binomial name
  Rhinoceros unicornis
  (Linnaeus, 1758)
  
  

  Indian Rhinoceros range

  
  
  The Indian Rhinoceros or the Great One-horned Rhinoceros
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  Diceros
  
  Species: D. bicornis
  
  Binomial name
  Diceros bicornis
  Linnaeus, 1758
  
  

  Black Rhinoceros range

  
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  C. simum
  
  Subspecies: 'C. s. simum''
  
  Trinomial name
  Ceratotherium simum simum
  Burchell, 1817
  
  

  Range map in green

  
  
  The
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  The San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park is a zoo in the San Pasqual Valley area of San Diego, California. It is one of the largest tourist attractions in the city and Southern California.
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  Ceratotherium
  
  Species: C. simum
  
  Subspecies: 'C. s. cottoni''
  
  Trinomial name
  Ceratotherium simum cottoni
  (Lydekker, 1908)
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  Ceratotherium
  
  Species: C. simum
  
  Subspecies: 'C. s. cottoni''
  
  Trinomial name
  Ceratotherium simum cottoni
  (Lydekker, 1908)
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