RHINOCEROS

Rhino - Identification 1
• The Rhinoceros is a large, thick-skinned herbivore
having one or two upright horns on the snout. In
Africa, there are two distinct species of rhinoceros;
the Black Rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis) and the
White Rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum). Both of
these species have two upright horns on the snout.
• The rhinoceros family is characterized by its large size
(one of the largest remaining mega fauna), with all of
the species able to reach one ton or more in weight;
herbivorous diet;
 Rhino - Identification 2
• And a thick protective skin, 1.5–5 cm thick, formed from layers of
collagen positioned in a lattice structure;
• Relatively small brains for mammals this size (400–600 g); and a large
horn.
• The horns of a rhinoceros are made of keratin, the same type of
protein that makes up hair and fingernails.
• The most obvious distinguishing characteristic of the rhinos is a large
horn above the nose.
• Rhinoceros horns, unlike those of other horned mammals, consist of
keratin only and lack a bony core, such as bovine horns
 Rhino - Identification 3
• Long head
• Black has pointed grasping upper lip
• Small eyes – black has funnel shaped ears with fringes of hair, while
white has pointed ears
• Medium sized ears
• Two horns (bicornis)
• Muscular neck…..black have no hump, white have ahump
• Skin with swollen neck-folds
• Grey, pale brownish colour
• Calf looks like adult but has no horns or pronounced skin folds
 Rhino- Measurements
• Mass: white - Male: 2,300 kg, Female: 1,700 kg; Black 700kg to 1600kg
• Height: white - Male: 1.7 – 1.9 m, Female: 1.6 – 1.8 m; Black - 1.4m
• Length: Male: 3.7 – 4 m, Female: 3.4 – 3.6 m; Black – 2.9m to 3.6.
• Lifespan: 40 – 60 years
• Gestation period: white - 18 months; Black – 16 months
• Tail length – 60 to 70 cm
LOCAL NAMES
• Kifaru/faru
• Fualo – luhya
• Mbusya - kamba
• Mpuria - meru
• Omuga nyakanga
• Muny - Samburu
CLASSIFICATION
Levels Black Rhinoceros White Rhinoceros
Kingdom- Animalia Animalia
Phylum- Chordata Chordata
Order- Perrisodactyla Perrisodactyla
Family- Rhinocerotidae Rhinocerotidae
Genus- Diceros Ceratotherium
Species- bicornis simum (simum, cottoni)
DISTRIBUTION AND HABITAT
Prefer savannah and forested areas.. Also, grassland and little tree cover, and with thickly
wooded areas such as montane forest upto 3500m. Reside in places with sufficient food, water,
shade cover and mud wallows.

SOCIAL ORGANISATION
White are social while black are solitary mammals. Mark territories with dung heaps.
 RHINOS – FOOD AND FEEDING
• They generally eat leafy material, although their ability to ferment
food in their hindgut allows them to subsist on more fibrous plant
matter, if necessary.
• Unlike other perissodactyls, the African species of rhinoceros lack
teeth at the front of their mouths, relying instead on their powerful
premolar and molar teeth to grind up plant food.
• Black is browser and white is grazers.
 Rhino Reproduction
• Oestrous cycle 26-60 days
• Mating 20-70min
• Only one young is born
• Horn start developing 4-5months of birth
• Sexual maturity 4 ½ to 5 years
• Female fertile upto 30 years
• Longevity black 40yrs, white 60 yrs
 Behaviour and social organisation
• Black solitary and white is social
• Mainly active in the morning and evening
• Rests or sleeps in the shade of wallow in mud during hot periods
• Also nocturnal – rest for 6-7 hours
• Drink and wallow daily where they are undisturbed
• Vocalization – squeal, grant, and bellow. Snort when disturbed
• Enemies – spotted hyena, elephants, humans
• Cattle egrets and ox-peckers often seen around rhinos
White rhino
 Videos
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WrC4eqeYtk - white rhino mass –
olpejeta
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4y91e4-_JY - white rhino grazing
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLgcJncPaG4 – black rhino browse
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xL6CUdw84jI - black rhino attach car
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xL6CUdw84jI – black male rhino fight
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43G5WQQRH9U – rare spotted zebra
in mara
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7jVkA8jtps– grevys zebra at close
 Northern White Rhinoceros - Ceratotherium simum cottoni
• The Northern White Rhinoceros, or northern square-lipped rhinoceros, is
one of two subspecies of the white rhinoceros. Formerly found in several
countries in East and Central Africa south of the Sahara, this subspecies is a
grazer in grasslands and savanna woodlands.
• Since 19 March 2018, there are only two known rhinos of this subspecies
left, called Najin and Fatu, both of which are female; barring the existence
of unknown or misclassified male northern white rhinos elsewhere in
Africa, this makes the subspecies functionally extinct. The two female
rhinos belong to the Dvůr Králové Zoo in the Czech Republic but live in the
Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Nanyuki, Kenya and are protected round-the-
clock by armed guards.
• According to the latest International Union for Conservation of Nature
(IUCN) assessment from 2020, the subspecies is considered "Critically
Endangered (Possibly Extinct in the Wild)."[
Northern white rhino

Ol pejeta Conservancy in
Nanyuki, Kenya
 NWR Assisted reproduction
• The DNA of a dozen northern white rhinos has been preserved in
genetic banks in Berlin and San Diego.
• In August 2019, 10 egg cells (5 from Najin and 5 from Fatu) were
harvested to be artificially inseminated with the frozen sperm of a
northern white rhino.
• In September 2019 scientists announced that they fertilized in-vitro
the eggs with frozen sperm taken from dead males; two of the
resulting embryos were viable.
• On 15 January 2020, it was also announced that "another embryo"
was created using the same techniques; all three embryos are "from
Fatu", and are stored in liquid nitrogen until they can be placed into a
surrogate mother, probably a southern white rhino.
 Any Other Information
Difference between black and white rhinoceros
• 1. Size-white is relatively bigger.
• 2. Food-white is grazer while black is browser.
• 3. Social organization-white is social while black are solitary.
• 4. Temperament-white are docile while black are violent.
• 5. Position of the young-white young walk in front while black walk behind.
• 6. Back -
• 7. Habitat -
• 8. Muzzle shape
• 9. Muzzle colour –
• 10. Distribution –
• 11. hump
• 12. Ears
• 13. Temperament -
Predators
• In the wild, adult rhinoceros have few natural predators other than humans. Young rhinos can fall
prey to predators such as big cats, crocodiles, wild dogs, and hyena.
Horns
• Rhinoceros are killed by humans for its valuable horn. Rhinoceros horns are used in traditional
Asian medicine, and for dagger handles in Yemen and Oman. One repeated misconception is that
rhinoceros horn in powdered form is used as an aphrodisiac or sex stimulant.
 Other Facts about Rhinos
• Cultural/ceremonial significance
• Economic significance
• Ecological significance
• Fables, tales and beliefs about the leopard
 ZEBRA
• Grevyis and burchell’s/common
• Bigger – smaller
• Narrower stripes – broader
• Less dependent on water - Dependent on water
• Belly white, no stripes in belly – stripes run down the belly
• Stripes run vertically down – striped more or less diagonal
• Found north of equator – Found in Central, Western and Northern
Parts
Grevyi’s zebra and Burchells/plains zebra
Identify as many mammals as possible
.