The white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simun) is one of the five extant rhinoceros species, being not only one of the largest land mammals on the planet, but also the largest of the rhinoceros species. The name of these animals comes from the Greek terms rhino and kera, which mean nose and horn, respectively. Precisely the striking feature of their horns has been the reason why these mammals have been hunted in an extreme way for years, which has finally resulted in an alarming instability of the species.
In this page of our site we present different aspects related to the characteristics of the white rhinoceros so that you can learn more about them. We invite you to continue reading.
Characteristics of the White Rhinoceros
The white rhinoceros is really gray and it is believed that its name comes from a mistake or confusion, since this animal was called " wijdt", which means wide and refers to this characteristic of his lips, but later it was thought that it was called white, a word that is pronounced in a similar way to the previous one. This species is then recognized by its wide and square lips and the presence of two horns, one of which (the front) can measure between 60 and 150 cm.
Continuing with the characteristics of the white rhinoceros, the skull is long, what would be the forehead is slightly pronounced and the hump is accentuated. It is large, and can weigh up to about 4 tons, which makes it, along with some elephants, the largest land animal. It reaches up to 4 meters in length and about 2 or more meters in height. It is hairless, except for the ears and tail, which have hair. The skin is quite thick and hard, adding 20 mm between the dermis and the epidermis, in addition, it can form folds in some areas of the body.
Two subspecies of white rhinoceros are recognized:
- Northern white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum cottoni).
- Southern white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum simum).
They differ mainly because the first is smaller than the second and they have different distribution areas.
White Rhino Habitat
The white rhinoceros is possibly extinct in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan; it is extinct in the Central African Republic, Chad and Sudan. It has been reintroduced to Botswana, Eswatini, Namibia, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Kenya, and Zambia.
The habitat of the white rhinoceros is made up of ecosystems such as savannahs, scrublands and grasslands. It requires the presence of water in the areas it inhabits, so it moves constantly towards the banks of the rivers and low areas with the presence of the liquid. In this sense, it can also be seen in dense forests, forests with grass cover and hillsides.
Customs of the White Rhino
This species is estimated to have the most complex habits and social structure of all. They can form temporary groups of 14 or fewer individuals, made up of a dominant male, females and their offspring. Dominant males tend to prevent females in heat from moving away from their territory, which is normally between 1 to 3 km, while that of females can be larger. Perhaps for this reason, when they are fertile, the dominant males prevent them from leaving, since they can go to faraway places.
A common habit in dominant males is to limit their territory with piles of dung, which they squash energetically, leaving this just looking for water to drink. The white rhinoceros is not usually aggressive, although confrontations between males do occur. For their part, females with young do become so, especially in the presence of predators. When they feel threatened, they start racing with speeds between 24 and 40 km/h. A peculiar feature is that they strongly hit the ground with their legs and all run in the same direction.
This species does not commonly bathe in water, but they do take mud baths in summer and sand baths in winter. Depending on the time of year, they change their habits, being diurnal in cold seasons and crepuscular in hot seasons.
White Rhino Feeding
They are a strictly herbivorous species, feeding mainly in areas with abundant bushes and short grasses. Among the plants they consume are those of the genera Panicum, Urichloa and Digitaria. Also depending on availability they consume stems, leaves, seeds, flowers, roots, fruits and even small woody plants. Since they consume large amounts of grass, and due to their size, they are considered one of the largest grazing animals in the world; in fact it is classified as a mega herbivore. The thick lips of these animals allow them to easily grab and tear off the plant matter they consume.
Newborn white rhinos feed on their mother's milk for only a few weeks, as they are then taught by their mother to start eating soft grass until later they expand their diet.
White Rhinoceros Reproduction
These rhinoceroses breed throughout the year, although with higher peaks between October and December in the case of those found in the southern region, while from February to June for those in the eastern zone. The females frequently enter the territory of the males and, if they are in heat, they will detect it by the smell of urine. A few days will pass while the male accompanies the female and she will emit sounds thus confirming her readiness for reproduction
Before mating, the pair will stay together for up to 20 days. If the female tries to get away from her, the male will try to stop her, which sometimes leads to confrontations. These rhinoceroses will be able to copulate for about 2 to 5 days, after which time the female leaves the territory. The pregnancy lasts an average of 550 days and consists of a single calf. A female will breed again at approximately 3 years and the calf will become independent around this time.
White Rhino Conservation Status
The white rhino species has been listed as Near Threatened on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List, however, given the significant differences in population levels, the northern subspecies is listed differently, and is therefore consideredcritically endangered , while the southern one is in the same category as the species. The northern subspecies is in fact estimated to be extinct in the wild and the few extant individuals are in protected areas.
Poaching for the illegal horn trade is the main cause of the mass killing of the white rhinoceros. The horn is used for various purposes with supposed beneficial effects on he alth, but also as decorations and as part of objects of high economic value.
The main actions for conservation include the protection of the species within areas or sanctuaries that are monitored, in addition to the prohibition of the commercialization of the horn, as well as strategies between the private and state sectors, that guarantee the long-term stability of the species.
How many white rhinos are left?
According to the IUCN red list, there are currently just over 10,000 white rhinos worldwide.
