The time of year is another important factor in a rhino’s diet. Black rhinos have a pointy upper lip that makes it easy for them to tear leaves, fruit and branches from trees, and also pick them up from the ground. The specific diet a rhino consumes depends on the species it belongs to.įor example, white rhinos have evolved to have square lips, ideal for feeding on long, soft grasses. As grazers, as they eat continuously, rather than at specific times.ĭuring the heat of day, rhinos like to sleep in shady spots or wade in the coolness of mud pools, with the mud acting as a natural sunscreen and insect repellent. In their natural habitat, these gigantic herbivores graze mostly on grass and the fruit and leaves of shrubs and trees. Rhinos are herbivores who rely on a variety of plants for nourishment. The conservation and monitoring of umbrella species is crucial, as their protection means a better habitat for all the flora and fauna in their ecosystem.Īs an example – rhinos in the wild share their large habitat with many other plant and animal species therefore, saving the rhino means (indirectly) also saving dung beetles, aardvarks, lions and a multitude of other creatures that share the rhino’s habitat. Rhinos are considered an “umbrella species” – one whose conservation indirectly safeguards many other species. PROTECTING THE RHINO SAFEGUARDS MANY OTHER SPECIES Interestingly, rhinos are often found in the company of Oxpecker birds (also known as tick birds), with whom they have a mutually beneficial symbiotic relationship.Īpart from prying parasites from their hosts’ skins, these tick birds’ sharp cries also serve as a warning signal, alerting their hosts to possible threats. Male rhinos are also extremely territorial, marking their territories with their dung as well as by spraying urine. They are known to fiercely guard their turf against other male rhinos who may try to encroach on their terrain. In their natural habitat, adult males are always solitary, unless they are in search of a mate for breeding. Some rhino species, such as the black rhino, lead a solitary existence, while white rhino females and their calves are very social. The rhino’s social habits depend on which species it belongs to. Mostly gentle and peaceful in their behaviour, they do startle easily, and are rather quick to charge at the source of their agitation. Rhinos are intelligent, social and emotional animals. INTELLIGENT AND GENTLE, BUT EASILY STARTLED However, the black, Sumatran and Javan rhino are all still currently listed as critically endangered, while the Indian rhino is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Thanks to an increase in conservation programs and methods, the numbers of the southern white rhino have increased sufficiently for them to be awarded near-threatened status. Of the black, white, Javan, Sumatran and Indian rhinoceros, only about 29 000 remain in the wild. Today, just five species of these sensitive, intelligent beasts that have roamed the earth for approximately 40 million years remain. NEARING EXTINCTION DUE TO HUMAN IGNORANCE You can read more about early European perceptions of the African rhinoceros here. This Indian rhino met a sad fate when it died in a shipwreck in 1516, en route to Italy, where it was intended as a gift for Pope Leo X. Bizarrely, he gave the rhino a second, smaller horn situated between its shoulder blades. Having never seen the animal himself, Dürer created a remarkably close (if somewhat fantastical) likeness of this rhino from only an oral description and a rough reference sketch. In 1515, German painter and printmaker Albrecht Dürer created the first modern artist’s impression of a rhino – a woodcut of an Indian rhino that had arrived in Lisbon that same year. Such drawings have been found both in Africa and in Europe, indicating not only the geographical location of these animals at the time, but also the significance they held to early humans. The earliest depictions of rhinos have been discovered on stone plaques and cave walls, dating back about 30 000 years. RHINOS – FASCINATING HUMANS SINCE THE EARLIEST TIMES Read on for an overview of these incredible animals, how they’ve been depicted by humans over the ages, and for a closer look at each of the five remaining rhino species’ diets. Sadly, misperceptions about rhino horn’s supposed healing properties, as well as the horn being a sought-after status symbol in certain cultures, have led to these amazing creatures being hunted and poached to near-extinction. With their massive bodies, thick, folded skins and facial horns, the rhinoceros (“rhinos” meaning “nose” and “keras” meaning “horn of an animal” in Greek) has fascinated humans from the earliest times. THE RHINO DIET – A CLOSER LOOK AT THE 5 REMAINING SPECIES
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