Rhinoceroses belong to the order Perissodactyls, suborder Ceratomorphs (which they only share with tapirs) and family Rhinocerotidae. These animals make up the group of the large terrestrial mammals, as well as elephants and hippopotamuses, weighing up to more than 3 tons. Despite their weight, size, and generally aggressive behavior, all rhinos are placed in an endangered species classification. Specifically, three of the five types of rhinos that exist are in a critical situation due to massive hunting.
Characteristics and curiosities of the rhinoceros
The horn of the rhinoceros is its most characteristic feature. In fact, its name originates precisely from the presence of this structure, since the term "rhinoceros" means horned nose, which comes from a combination of words in Greek.
In hoofed animals, the horn is an extension of the skull, formed by a bony nucleus and covered with keratin. However, in rhinos this is not the case, since the horn lacks a bony nucleus, being a fibrous structure composed of cells dead or inert that are completely filled with keratin. The horn also has calcium and melanin s alts in its nucleus; both compounds provide protection, the first against wear and tear from use and the second against sunlight.
Due to the presence of specialized epidermal cells located at the base, rhinoceros horn can regenerate from growths newspapers. This growth will depend on factors such as age and sex. For example, in the case of African rhinos, the structure grows between 5-6 cm per year.
As we have mentioned, rhinoceroses are large and heavy animals. In general, all species exceed a ton and are capable of felling trees due to their great strength. Also, compared to its size, the brain is small, the eyes are located on each side of the head, and the skin is quite thick. As for their senses, smell and hearing are the most developed; on the contrary, the sight is poor. They tend to be quite territorial and solitary.
Types of rhinos
Currently, there are five species of rhinos, which are:
- White rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simun).
- Black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis).
- Indian rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis).
- Java Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros sondaicus).
- Sumatran Rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis).
In this article, we'll explain what each type of rhino eats.
However, the rhinoceros is not the only animal with horns. Discover other animals with this characteristic in Animals with horns - Big, long and twisted.
Are rhinos carnivores or herbivores?
Rhinoceroses are herbivorous animals that, to maintain their large bodies, depend on the consumption of high contents of vegetable matter, which they can be soft and nutritious parts of plants, although in cases of scarcity they eat high-fiber foods that they process in their digestive system.
Each of the rhino species consume various types of plants or parts of plants that are available in their natural ecosystems.
Rhinoceros digestive system
Each animal group has particular adaptations to consume, process and acquire nutrients from food that are present in their natural habitats. In the case of rhinoceroses, these adaptations can be seen in the fact that some species have lost their front teeth and others hardly use them for food. Therefore, use their lips to eat, which depending on the species can be prehensile or wide to take their food. However, they do use the premolars and molars, as they are highly specialized structures with a large surface area for grinding food.
The digestive system of the rhinoceros is simple, as in all Perissodactyls, so that the stomach does not have chambers. However, thanks to post-gastric fermentation carried out by microorganisms in the large and cecum intestine, it is possible to digest the large amounts of cellulose that these animals consume. This assimilation system is not as efficient, since many of the proteins produced by the metabolism of the food consumed by these animals are not used, so that the consumption of large volumes of foodIt's very important.
What does the white rhinoceros eat?
The white rhinoceros was on the verge of extinction about a hundred years ago. Today, thanks to conservation programs, it has become the most abundant rhinoceros species in the world However, it is in the category of Near Threatened
This animal is distributed throughout much of Africa, mainly in protected areas, has two horns, and is actually gray, not white It has quite thick lips that it uses to uproot the plants it consumes, as well as a flat and wide mouth that makes it easier to graze.
It lives mainly in dry savannah areas, so its diet is mainly based on:
- Herbs or non-woody plants.
- Sheets.
- Small woody plants (depending on availability).
- Estate.
The white rhinoceros is one of the most popular animals in Africa. If you want to know other animals that live on the African continent, we encourage you to read this other article on Animals of Africa.
What does the black rhino eat?
The common name given to the black rhinoceros is to differentiate it from its African relative, the white rhinoceros, since both are greyand have two horns, but they differ mainly in their dimensions and mouth shape.
The black rhinoceros is in the Critically Endangered category of extinction, with the overall population greatly depleted by poaching and loss habitat.
Its original location is arid and semi-arid areas of Africa, and it is probably already extinct in the Central African Republic, Angola, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mozambique, Nigeria, Sudan and Uganda.
The mouth of the black rhinoceros has a pointed shape, which makes it easy for it to feed on:
- Shrubbery.
- Leaves and lower branches of trees.
What does the Indian rhinoceros eat?
The Indian rhinoceros has a silver-brown color and of all the species it has the greatest appearance of being covered in layers of armor. Unlike the Africans, it has only one horn.
This rhino has been forced to reduce its natural habitats due to human pressure. Formerly located in Pakistan and China, today its range is restricted to grasslands and forests in Nepal, Assam and India, and nearby low hills to the Himalayas. Its current classification status is vulnerable, according to the Red List of Endangered Species.
The Indian rhinoceros feeds on:
- Herbs.
- Sheets.
- Tree branches.
- Riverbank plants.
- Fruits.
- Plantations.
What does the Javan rhinoceros eat?
Male Javan rhinoceros have a horn, whereas females do not have one or have a small knot-shaped one. It is a species that is also on the verge of extinction, being classified as critically endangered.
Given the low population number, there are no in-depth studies on the species. The few extant individuals inhabit a protected area on the island of Java in Indonesia.
The Javan rhinoceros has a preference for lowland rainforest, muddy floodplains, and tall grasslands. Its upper lip is of a prehensile nature and, although it is not one of the largest rhinos, it manages to knock down some trees in order to feed on their newest parts. In addition, it feeds on a wide variety of plant genera, which is undoubtedly related to the types of habitats mentioned.
The Javan rhinoceros feeds on new leaves, shoots and fruit. It also requires the consumption of s alt to obtain certain nutrients, but due to the lack of reserves of this compound on the island, it has been seen drinking seawater.
What does the Sumatran rhino eat?
With a fairly small population, it has been classified as Critically Endangered. The Sumatran rhinoceros is the smallest of all, it has two horns and is the one with the most hair on its body.
This species has quite primitive features that clearly differentiate it from the rest of the rhinos. In fact, studies have shown that it has had practically no variations from its predecessors.
The existing low population is located in mountainous areas of Sundaland (Malacca, Sumatra and Borneo), soyour diet is based on:
- Sheets.
- Branches.
- Tree bark.
- Seeds.
- Small trees.
The Sumatran rhinoceros also licks s alt rocks to obtain some essential nutrients.
Finally, all rhinoceroses usually drink water as much as possible, however, they are capable of going several days without consuming it in case of water scarcity.
Due to the large size of rhinos, they are virtually free of natural predators as adults, however, their size has not made them freed from the human hand, who has been behind these species for centuries due to popular beliefs about the benefits of their horns or blood for people.
Although the body parts of an animal may provide some benefit to humans, its mass slaughter for this purpose will never be justified, for that science has managed to constantly advance, allowing the synthesis of the most compounds that are present in nature.
