El Rhino, is one of the oldest and largest land mammals in the world, as these beautiful and imposing animals have been among us for more than 15 million years. However, at present, these are in serious danger of extinction thanks to the human being and his unconsciousness.
Most important characteristics of rhinoceroses
One of the first things we should know about these important animals is that their name comes from the Latin Rihinocerotidae, which literally means "horned nose" or "horned nose", a fairly accurate name knowing what, the main attraction of these animals is precisely the horn that they have on their striking noses.
The rhinoceros is a heavy animal, along with the elephant and the hippopotamus, it is one of the largest land mammals on the entire planet Earth. The rhinoceros can weigh approximately between 800 and 1.400 kilograms, in addition to this, they can also reach a height of around 170 centimeters, some specimens may be larger or smaller.
These powerful animals have an extremely developed sense of smell, their hearing is also excellent, however, they lack a good sense of sight, something that, despite everything it can cause, has not been an impediment for these animals They managed to survive for millions of years. Although the human being has managed to find a way to approach without being detected, that is how they have almost managed to destroy the entire species.
Rhinoceroses are generally not very sociable animals, so they will almost always be found alone, except for females that have a calf or during mating seasons. In addition to this, they are very territorial animals, especially when it comes to protecting their young.
Despite what many people believe, rhinos are not aggressive, they are not animals that constantly attack humans, unless they feel threatened or cornered. Another important thing that we should know about it is that they are quite long-lived mammals, as they can live up to 60 years if they are in an environment that facilitates their survival. However, now they are listed as one of the animals endangered mammals.
How is the habitat of rhinos?
It is wrong to think that the rhinoceros is an exclusively African animal, since the reality is that three of its species belong to Asian territory. It is true that these same ones are currently in serious danger of extinction, however, they can still be seen in their wild state in those protected places that are within India, Malaysia and Indonesia.
reproduction of rhinos
In general, females belonging to the species of white rhinoceros and Indian rhinoceros begin their reproductive cycle when they reach approximately 5 years of age, which is why they give birth to their first offspring when they are about 6 years old, more or less, although there are some that prolong this process a bit and have their first birth when they are 8 years old.
Now, when we talk about the black rhinoceros, we are referring to a slightly smaller species, so their reproductive cycle tends to be 1 year earlier than that of the white rhinoceros, so their fertility begins when they are around 4 years approximately.
Usually, rhinoceroses, whatever their species, only give birth to a single calf at each birth, however, researchers of these animals have always kept in mind that, because the female has two breasts by which she can feed her young, perhaps, in some almost miraculous cases, a female could have a double birth and give birth to two young. Although this has never been documented.
Normally the females wait for a time to reproduce after having their last offspring, in general, this waiting time is at least 22 months, however, the most regular thing among all the females of the species is that the They wait between 2 and 4 years to procreate again. Which is why it is so important to care for and preserve the lives of each calf that is born.
At birth, a calf is quite small and vulnerable, when we talk about white and Indian rhino calves, we would be referring to small ones that are born with approximately 65 kilograms of weight, but when we refer to the black rhino, the calf can weigh around 40 kilograms. At birth they cannot move much, however, after 3 days, the calf will be ready to follow its mother wherever she goes.
The breasts of female rhinoceroses are located between the two hind legs of the animal. They can give birth at any time of the year, however, African rhinoceroses generally prefer to synchronize the births of their calves so that they are born when the rainy season has begun to pass or when the dry season is giving beginning. This is because the rainy seasons are very dangerous due to the constant floods that their young may not overcome.
Now, when we refer to male rhinoceroses, these animals reach sexual maturity when they are around 7 or 8 years old, however, in general, they tend to have their first mating when they are 10 years old. Something that very few people know about these animals is that the testicles of the males are usually retracted, this means that they do not go down into the scrotum as it happens with other animals, which is why they are not visible.
In addition to this, the penis of these mammals, when it is retracted or at rest, is hidden inside the foreskin, but this is not what is relevant, what is really impressive is that it does not remain directed towards the front like that of any other male, but the penis is directed inversely, that is, backwards.
rhino behavior
As we mentioned before, in general, rhinoceroses are not very sociable animals and, in addition, they are excessively territorial. The only way to see these animals socializing with others of their species is by observing a mother who shares her little calf or the males with the females during mating season.
However, it should be noted that the white rhino tends to be a little more sociable than the other 5 species. On some occasions, young white rhinos, and on a few occasions also Indians, can be seen creating pairs, or in some cases small groups, with other contemporaries in order to survive.
This occurs especially with those female white rhinoceroses that have not yet had offspring, these sometimes allow younger ones to approach and join them to continue their life cycle until they reach their mature age. In some cases, small groups of up to 7 rhinos have been seen together. It is not very common but there are records of these events.
The regular thing about this species is that, whether male or female, these animals will always move around their own territory, always being the same area and the same places. The size of the territory of each of them will depend on the species to which it belongs and the genus of the specimen. To chew their territory, these animals spray urine and feces throughout it. The territories are individual, that is, each individual has their own territory.
When a rhinoceros is walking near the limits of its territory and which begins the limits of another specimen, they usually begin to urinate quite frequently, thus creating a kind of stronger barrier that indicates that That area belongs to you.
In general, the territories of the females are intermingled with each other, this is because the females are not usually excessively territorial and tolerate a small proximity with another female. In the case of female white rhinoceroses, when they are close to each other they tend to rub their noses with each other in a friendly way, while in the case of female Indian rhinos, they are a little more aggressive and are a little more territorial, although they do not confront each other.
Now, in the case of males it is much more complex, as they respond aggressively to any small proximity to them or their territory. Returning to the cases of white and Indian rhinoceroses, these are generally quite intolerant of the presence of others that bothers them, which is why they always act aggressively. Usually these animals do not collide with each other because their own weight would be deadly, however, there are small clashes of horns that usually serve to drive away the unwanted invader.
How is the feeding of the rhinoceroses?
These mammals are merely herbivores, each of the rhinoceros species has had small morphological modifications that are specially adapted to the type of diet that each of them has. A loving example would be to note that African rhinoceroses currently no longer have their front teeth, contrary to Asian species that still have them and often use them as weapons in their confrontations.
In general, white rhinoceroses tend to feed on grasses that are on the ground, all kinds of low grasses, for this reason, they have slightly more prominent lips than other species since they serve to help them pasta, because they greatly facilitate their feeding task.
Now, in the case of the black rhinoceros, it has an upper lip that resembles the shape of a hook, which helps and facilitates the grip of the branches that it is going to eat, since its diet basically consists of the intake of various types of bushes and medium-sized herbs, a diet very similar to that of the Indian rhinoceros.
Something that we must take into account is that rhinos prefer to go out in search of their food during the night hours, because at those times the weather is much cooler, unlike the high temperatures that are observed during the day and the sun. inclement that usually bothers them very often.
endangered rhinos
Currently and for many years now, the permanence of the rhinoceros on our planet has been a very delicate and dramatic issue, because as is well known, these beautiful animals were constantly hunted, especially in the Asian continent, all due to their antlers, which, Since ancient times it has been believed that they have healing and miraculous properties in some types of diseases or conditions.
The topic on the endangered rhino It has been treated even before the beginning of the XNUMXth century, because since the XNUMXth century, these animals have been declining little by little, however, it was not until the last century that the decline of the species has been considered alarming, all due to that illegal hunting took on much more force during that period of time. Man has never realized that his ambition can lead to the destruction of his own species or worse, the planet in general.
To give us an idea of how tragic this decline of the species has been, we can take the black rhinoceros as an example, which has always been the one with the largest population. This, at the beginning of the 850.000th century, had an approximate population of at least 2.400 specimens, while, by the end of the century, there were only about XNUMX specimens of this important species left.
The 5 species of rhinos that exist
People usually only know about the existence of the white rhinoceros and the black rhinoceros. However, we must emphasize the fact that, although they are very vulnerable, there are still three other important species that, if we do not take care and try to help, will soon disappear forever.
Southern White Rhino
This is the most recognized rhinoceros species in the world, in addition, they are one of the Animals of africa most vulnerable that today are struggling to live. In addition to this, it is considered the largest and most imposing of all the species due to its majesty, they have a slightly larger head than the rest of the species, of course, speaking proportionally to the size of each of them.
Something relevant about this specific species is that, despite its name, these animals do not have white skin, but gray, very similar to that of the black rhinoceros. This species is divided into two subspecies, the northern and the southern. It should be noted that, in 2018, the last existing specimen of the northern white rhinoceros died, which was a majestic male.
At present, this species of rhinoceros in general is listed by the IUCN as a near threatened species, for which the necessary measures have been taken to protect and conserve the species.
black rhino
This African species is slightly smaller than the white rhinoceros. In general, people who do not know the differences between the two species tend to confuse the white rhinoceros and the black rhinoceros because, despite beliefs, both species have the same coloration on their skins, they are of the same color. Gray. The easiest way to differentiate is by looking at the upper lip of the black rhinoceros, which has a hook shape at its end, ideal for feeding.
This species of rhinoceros is currently in a critical state of vulnerability, since two of its subspecies are already extinct, which is why they are already classified as a critically endangered species. Many conservationists and animal lovers are currently looking for ways to preserve the species.
indian rhinoceros
This species of rhinos has a characteristic that distinguishes them from their African relatives, since they have a proportionally smaller head than them. In size, this species is very similar to that of the white rhinoceros, as the two are considered the largest of the species in general.
In general, Indian rhinos are water lovers, which is why these animals are always close to streams, lakes or puddles so they can cool off and take short dips whenever they want.
One of the main curiosities of this species is that it was the first known of the three Asian species, as it was discovered when the troops of Alexander the Great managed to reach Hindu territory. In addition to this, it is believed that the myth about the existence of unicorns could be due to the discovery of this species of rhinoceros in those times. Perhaps for this reason, the scientific name of this species is "unicornis".
Currently, this species is in a vulnerable state, so it has already received attention to prevent this state from worsening as has happened with other species.
Sumatran Rhino
This is the smallest species among the 5 species of rhinos. It shares with the African species the characteristic of having two horns on its nose. These animals can be found in various protected areas within Indonesia and Malaysia. Especially within the islands of Orneo and Java.
This species of rhinoceros is also currently considered a critically ill species, as its population is extremely small. For this reason, today it can only be found in those places that are protected and that have restricted access for man, as this is the only way to try to keep the little population that is still alive.
javanese rhinoceros
It shares gender with the Indian rhinoceros. The easiest way to recognize this species is by looking at its horn, it is the smallest of all species, so much so that some females of this species completely lack it.
Although this species has the name of javanese rhinoceros, the reality is that, in the past, they could be seen distributed throughout Southeast Asia. However, at present, they can only be found within the island of Java, specifically within the Ujung Kulon National Park, in which they are extremely protected and cared for.
It is another species of rhinoceros that is in a critical state of extinction, so today, ways are being sought to keep this species alive.
rhino horn
Naturally, this species of mammals does not have an enemy or predator, however, man has become the greatest threat to these animals, this is due to the fact that, for more than a century, the human being has been stubborn in obtain the horn of the rhinoceroses since the pampering has a price very similar to that of gold. Therefore, the ambition of man is responsible for the near extinction of this important species.
The horns of these animals are not made with bone structure, but rather, it is created with a kind of protein called keratin. This is the same one that, in humans, is responsible for the creation of our nails and in other animals, it is the one who creates their fur.
For a long time, this protein has been widely used in Chinese medicine, as it is believed that it has a healing component. Some other countries belonging to the Asian continent also value rhino horn powder as a natural medicine that helps them alleviate some of their conditions. However, we must admit that no medicine is important enough to be obtained at the cost of the lives of an entire species, there are several ways to create a medicine that has the same effect, if it really has any.
Currently, these beliefs about the healing benefits of rhino horn are still valid, however, until now, it has not been proven true, since there have been no real cases where it is known that it can really cure or treat any disease or condition.
Reaching more extreme cases and that are even less important, indigenous tribes have been seen using rhinoceros horns, or part of it, to create the tips of their spears or arrows, which is really incomprehensible, since there are many other materials with which they could be made and that would not harm the life of a species in general. Therefore, we can affirm that the unconsciousness of human beings is so great that they do not care at all that by their beliefs or acts, they are harming other living beings.
