Indian rhinos: description, habitat, photo. 35 Interesting and Curious Facts About Rhinos Behavior and Nutrition

If you translate the name of the Indian rhinoceros from Latin, it will sound like "one-horned rhinoceros." Sometimes representatives of this species are also called armored rhinos. On the territory of Asia, you can find only one species that will surpass the Indian rhinoceros in its dimensions. This is an elephant. It is this species that is the largest in comparison with other species of rhinoceros living in Asia.

Appearance

Indian rhinos are very large animals. Sometimes their weight can reach 2500 kg. Males can have a height of up to 2 m. Females, on the other hand, have slightly smaller dimensions. The horn of representatives of this species can reach a length of approximately 25 cm. But in some individuals it can be up to 60 cm. But such a horn can only be seen in males. In females, it is very small and looks more like a bump.

These animals do not have hair. They have pinkish gray skin. Its surface is divided into regions by folds. Therefore, it looks like a shell. That is why one of the names of the species is “armored rhinoceros”. It is rather difficult to determine what color the surface of the skin of an animal has. Vedas, they very often like to wallow in the mud, after which it remains on them with a whole layer.

There are small brushes on the ears, as well as on the tail of the animal. They have 3 toes on their paws. There is a deep fold on the shoulders of the rhinoceros. They have small eyes. The upper lip is curved downward. And on the lower jaw there are very powerful incisors, which often serve as a weapon for the rhinoceros.

These animals are very strong and large. But they look like clumsy heavyweight wrestlers. This outward appearance is deceptive. In fact, rhinos are characterized by a quick reaction, they are quite mobile. If danger is approaching, the Indian rhinoceros can accelerate to a speed of 40 km/h. They have excellent hearing and a keen sense of smell. Thanks to this, already at a distance of several hundred meters, the rhinoceros will understand that there is a predatory animal or a person there. But their eyesight is quite weak.

Food

These are herbivorous mammals. They feed on algae, reeds, elephant grass. To pick food for itself, the rhinoceros uses the upper lip, which has a keratinized surface. Animals go out in search of food in the evening or in the morning, when it is not so hot anymore. In the daytime, they are in various water bodies in which there is a lot of dirt. Here they often look for food. Therefore, these animals live only in swampy areas.

Where does it live

A few centuries ago, representatives of this mono species could be found almost everywhere in southern Asia and China. They also lived in the eastern part of Iran. But human activity has had a significant impact on the number and habitat. They were hunted a lot, the habitual habitat was destroyed. In almost all these regions, the number of rhinos has decreased significantly. After colonization by Europe, Indian rhinos remained only in reserves. The numbers were also affected by the large number of hunters who used firearms. In addition, the territory of the jungle was constantly decreasing as a result of the intensive growth in the population of Asia.

Today representatives of this species live in the southern part of Pakistan. They can also be seen in eastern India and Nepal. A number of animals live in the north of Bangladesh. The territories where rhinos live are very strictly protected today. In total, there are not so many individuals left in the world. The largest population is in the state of Assam. This is the territory of India. Animals live in the national park called Kaziranga. About 1600 animals live here. This is approximately 2/3 of all representatives of the species in the world. About 600 individuals live in Nepal in Chitwan Park. About 300 rhinos can also be seen in one of the parks in Pakistan. To date, researchers claim that about 2.5 thousand Indian rhinos live in the world. Their number is growing.

In the Red Book, this species is listed as vulnerable. But the Sumatran as well as the Javanese species are in a more distressed position.

The closest species is the Javan rhinoceros, which also belongs to the Indian genus. Their body length reaches approximately 3 m, they grow up to 1.6 m in height. They have 1 horn, which grows up to 20 cm. This species is very rare. In total there are about 60 representatives. They cannot be kept in captivity.

Sex differences

The horn of females is much less pronounced, they are not as large as males.

Behavior

These animals prefer solitude. Each representative chooses for himself a territory of about 4 thousand square meters. m. In this area, elephant grass will definitely grow, a puddle of mud will be located, as well as a larger lake or the coast of a larger reservoir. With the help of manure, males, as a rule, mark their possessions.

You can see many paths in the thickets themselves, where a lot of elephant grass grows. They are trampled by rhinos. Among them there are common ones, along which animals make their way to the puddles. But there are also personal paths that the rhinoceros guards from others.

These animals, although they have a huge weight, are excellent swimmers. They can swim across a wide river or lake.

They do not make loud shrill sounds. If you disturb an Indian rhinoceros, you can hear a sound similar to snoring. The female covenant her offspring grunting. And when the mating season is on, its sound is like a whistle. Rhinos can also grunt while searching for food. But if one of them is injured or feels a special danger, they emit a loud roar.

Rhinos are usually very aggressive. If the individual is annoyed, then it can rush to the elephant. They can even attack for no apparent reason, so you should not approach these animals.

When the Indian rhinoceros attacks, it does not use its horn, but its powerful incisors. In this way they inflict very deep wounds.

reproduction

Females of this species become sexually mature as early as 3-4 years, while males later - at 7-9. Every 1.5 months they have a rut. At the same time, the female begins to pursue the chosen one. The gestation period lasts about 16 months. One small rhinoceros is born, which can weigh about 65 kg. He has a pink skin, there are characteristic folds, but there is no horn yet.

In captivity, animals live up to 70 years, and in nature usually less.

Enemies in nature

Predatory animals do not attack them. Sometimes there are attacks of tigers, but only on babies, since the tiger is not able to defeat this animal in battle. They are not even afraid of elephants, fearlessly rushing at them. The elephant usually leaves.

1. Birds usually live next to rhinos. These are herons, and bee-eaters, and starlings. They prey on insects that the rhinoceros makes fly. Birds also feed on insects that live on the animal's skin.
2. It was this species that was the first of all the types of rhinos that people from Europe saw. For the first time among them, this animal was depicted by Dürer. It was an engraving called Rhinoceros. The artist created this work without seeing the animal. The rhino looked a bit wrong here. And in 1513 the animal was brought to Lisbon. It was a gift from the Raja to the King of Portugal. Then it was Manuel I. The animal was put on display as a curiosity for the people, after which it was sent to the Pope. It was supposed to be a gift, but it never made it to its destination. The ship sank in a storm.
3. Indian feudal lords amused themselves by hunting rhinos. This can be judged by the miniatures that have remained since the 16th century. On them, representatives of the Mughal dynasty hunt these animals, sitting on elephants.
4. Most of the damage to this species was caused by the hunting of the rhinoceros. There were legends that the horn of an animal has great power. The inhabitants of Asia were sure that this is a very good aphrodisiac, as well as a real salvation against poison. Even today, on the black market, the horn of this animal is very expensive. It is usually sold by poor Asians who want to get rich this way. But in India there are many laws that strictly protect these animals from poachers.

Video: Indian rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis)

The rhinoceros is a unique representative of the fauna of the world, massive and large in size. A kind of small armed and armored fortress running on four legs.

2. Rhino is the second largest land animal after the elephant. The length of his body is on average 4 - 4.5 meters, height 1-2 meters, and weight 2-4 tons.

3. The white rhinoceros ranks second in the world as the largest animal. Its length is about 4.5 meters, and the height is 1.5-2 m. The weight ranges from 2 to 5 tons. The black rhinoceros is slightly smaller than its counterpart, but also impressive in size.

4. Now there are 5 species of rhinos left on Earth: Indian, Javanese and Sumatran - in Asia, black and white - in Africa. All species of rhinos are endangered and listed in the Red Book.

5. The extinct species of rhinoceros Indricotherium is considered the largest mammal that once lived on the planet (reached up to 8 meters in height and weighed up to 20 tons).

Asian rhinos

6. In Asiatic rhinos, the skin forms deep folds, so it seems as if the animal is dressed in a shell consisting of separate plates.

7. The closest relatives of rhinos are tapirs, horses and zebras.

8. Black rhinoceroses have a peculiar upper lip adapted for grasping, which helps them easily grasp leaves and branches.

9. Rhinos are grazing animals, so savannas and grasslands are their habitat.

10. Depending on the species, as well as the environment in which rhinos live in the wild or in captivity, they can live from 35 to 50 years.

black rhinoceros

11. Black rhinos eat more than 200 types of vegetation. He especially likes hard prickly plants.

12. The rhinoceros has very thick skin - up to 1.5 centimeters thick. Although the skin is very thick, it is quite sensitive to sunlight and insect bites. Rhinos often roll in the mud to protect themselves from the scorching sun and annoying insects.

13. Javan rhinoceros is the smallest - from 650 to 1000 kilograms.

14. Some species, such as black and white rhinos, have two horns, while other members of this family, such as Javan rhinos, have only one.

15. Rhinoceros females bear offspring for 15-16 months, so they can breed every 2-3 years.

16. Sometimes female white rhinos gather and live in groups.

17. The horn of these animals is not bone, as you might think, looking at it, but consists of a high-strength protein - keratin, contained in our hair and nails.

18. Rhinoceros horns are used in folk oriental medicine as a cure for fever and rheumatism. They are also used to make decorative items such as dagger handles.

19. The eyesight of rhinoceroses is weak, so they do not distinguish surrounding objects well, but thanks to a well-developed sense of smell and excellent hearing, they orient themselves remarkably in space, and also sense the approach of the enemy from afar.

20. The main purpose of the horn of rhinos is to separate bushes and thickets in order to get their own food.

Sumatran rhinos

21. The Sumatran rhinoceros lives in impenetrable forests and leads a hermitic lifestyle.

22. The closest relative of the Sumatran rhinoceros is the woolly rhinoceros, which became extinct as early as the 9th-14th century BC.

23. In 1948, to clear Kenya for agriculture, hunters with a license to shoot rhinos were hired. Such 1 hunter killed 500 rhinos in 1 day.

24. In the 1970s and 1980s, to protect Indian rhinoceros populations in the Indian Kaziranga National Park, it was allowed to shoot to kill any armed person who was not an employee of the park.

25. The maximum speed at which a rhinoceros can run is 50 km / h.

Indian rhinoceros

26. The Indian rhino differs from its African counterparts not only in its skin and long horns, but also in its love of water. In hot weather, Indian rhinos enter the water and stay there until the heat subsides. African rhinos do not resort to such cooling methods.

27. Rhinos are predominantly nocturnal and feed only on plants. Animals can travel long distances in search of food.

28. To eat, a rhinoceros needs at least 70 kg of vegetation per day.

29. The Indian rhinoceros was used in military operations by Indian maharajas.

30. Rhino cubs are born without horns at all.

31. Small voloklyui birds are in a symbiotic relationship with rhinos. They remove mites from the surface of their skin and also warn rhinos of danger with loud cries. In the Swahili language of the peoples of East Africa, these birds are called "askari wa kifaru", which means "protectors of the rhinos."

32. The horn of this animal is 1/3 of its length. And the largest horn was recorded with a length of 1 meter and 25 cm.

33. The names "white" and "black" do not mean the real color of rhinos at all. “White” (in English “white”) is just a misunderstanding of the African word “weit”, which means “wide” in translation and describes the wide mouth of this rhinoceros. Another species of rhinoceros was called "black" to somehow distinguish it from white, or perhaps because this rhinoceros likes to roll in dark mud to protect its skin and appear darker.

34. The largest population of white rhinos lives in South Africa, small populations can also be found in Zimbabwe, Namibia and Botswana, as well as neighboring countries.

35. Black rhinos live in the south and west of the African continent, mainly in Tanzania, Kenya, Zimbabwe and South Africa.

Conservation Status: Vulnerable.
Listed in the Red Book of the International Union for Conservation of Nature

The Indian rhinoceros is the largest of the three Asian rhinos and, along with, holds the status of the largest rhinoceros species. This species has a single horn, about 20-60 centimeters long, and brown-colored skin with folds, which gives it the appearance of armor. The upper lip is half prehensile. Weight ranges from 1800 to 2700 kilograms. The color is gray-brown, and in the folds of the skin - pinkish.

Indian rhinoceroses are mostly solitary, except when adults go out to graze or wallow in the mud. Males have large territories that are not well guarded and often overlap with other males. Sexual maturity in females occurs at the age of 5-7 years, while males mature only by 10 years. Reproduction occurs throughout the year. The cub is born alone and stays with the mother until the birth of the next one. The interval between pregnancies is 1-3 years, and its duration is 15-16 months. The Indian rhinoceros is a herbivore. Its diet consists almost entirely of herbs, but leaves, branches of shrubs and trees, fruits, and aquatic plants are also present.

Indian rhinoceros doing water treatments

Hunting has been an important historical factor in the decline of the Indian rhinoceros population. Over the past century, rhinos have suffered from sport hunting by Europeans and Asians. Also, these animals were killed due to damage to agricultural land. In the early 1900s, hunting was banned in Assam, Bengal and Myanmar.

Poaching of the Indian rhinoceros remains a constant threat due to its valuable horn. Although there is no scientific evidence for the medicinal value of the horn, it is used in traditional Asian medicine, primarily to treat various ailments such as epilepsy, fever, and strokes. The horn of the Asian rhinoceros species is believed to be more effective than the horn of the African species. Despite the active protection of the species and the prohibition of trade in rhinoceros horn on the international market, it can be bought without problems in Asia.

The huge reduction in the habitat of the Indian rhino is due to the disappearance of alluvial lowland pastures. To date, the need of a growing human population to increase the territory remains the main threat. Many protected areas where they are kept have already reached the limit and cannot withstand the growing population of these animals. This leads to conflict between the rhinoceros and humans as the species leaves the protected area and goes to forage for its own food in the nearby villages. Indian rhinos, especially females, kill several people every year in India and Nepal.

Species history

The habitat of the large one-horned rhinoceros in ancient times occupied the entire expanse of the Indo-Gangetic plain in northern Pakistan, most of northern India (including Assam), Nepal, northern Bangladesh and Myanmar. They mainly lived in alluvial plain pastures, where the grass reached 8 meters in height, as well as in adjacent swamps and forests. At the beginning of the 20th century, the species was very close to extinction. In 1975, there were only 600 surviving Indian rhinos in the wilds of India and Nepal.

Nowadays

By 2011, thanks to conservation efforts, the Indian rhinoceros population numbered 2913 individuals in India, Nepal, the grasslands of Assam, northern Bengal. Currently, the species is found in crop growing areas and pastures, as well as in modified forests. The Indian rhinoceros is considered the most numerous of the three species of Asian rhinoceros. At least half of the total number of rhinos are located in the Kaziranga National Park, Assam state in India and remain a key reserve of this species. There are about 500 individuals of the species in the Chitwan National Park in Nepal. Thanks to strict protection, the rhinoceros population is growing at a rate of about 5% per year.

RHINO INDIAN

(Rhinoceros unicornis)

INDIAN RHINO (Rhinoceros unicornis) or armored, better preserved than other Asian species. This is the largest animal in Asia after the elephant: its body length is up to 4.2 m, the height at the shoulders is up to 2 m and the weight is up to 2 tons. The naked skin of this rhinoceros is divided by folds into large sections hanging down like a shell. Thick skin plates, especially in the back of the body, are knobby swellings. Only on the tail and ears there are small brushes of coarse hair. On the shoulder of the armored rhinoceros there is a deep fold, bent back. The only horn is up to 60 cm long (usually about 20 cm). In the distant past, the Indian rhinoceros was widely distributed in Southeast Asia. But, like other rhinos in Asia, it has long been persecuted by man because of the legends about the healing power of the horn. And now a person who killed a rhinoceros can get pretty rich, so the fight against poaching is extremely difficult, and rhinos are threatened with complete extermination. Already in the XVIII century. rhinos disappeared in western India and Burma, and in the 19th century from the Ganges valley. By the beginning of the 20th century, rhinos survived only in Assam (India), North Bengal and Nepal. Of the total number of rhinos worldwide (approximately 1000), more than 400 live in Kazirang, a special reserve in Assam. The armored rhinoceros lives in swampy savannas and, due to its enormous strength, has almost no enemies other than humans. The mighty elephant retreats before the rhinoceros, even the tiger does not attack the adult rhinoceros. However, the tiger's favorite delicacy is rhino cubs, which he is not averse to dragging off at every opportunity. The Indian rhinoceros defends itself not so much with the horn as with the fangs of the lower jaw, inflicting cutting blows with them. Feeling no danger, the rhinoceros does not run away when other animals or humans appear, but continues to graze. He rushes to the disturber of his peace only as a last resort. Heavy and seemingly unwieldy, it is quite fast and can run at speeds up to 35-40 km/h, jumping over large ditches. Rhino is a good swimmer; for example, in Kaziranga, cases are known when a rhinoceros swam across a very wide Brahmaputra. The Indian rhinoceros is a herbivore that feeds on aquatic plants, young shoots of reeds and elephant grass. During the hot part of the day, rhinoceroses rest in small lakes or puddles, often filled with liquid mud. Most of the time, rhinos live alone, having their own individual plot of about 4000 m2. This area includes dense thickets of elephant grass, as well as a puddle, a small lake or part of the shore of a large reservoir. Animals mark their territory with large piles of droppings. Passing or running past such a pile, the rhinoceros will definitely sniff it and lay down its droppings. Impenetrable thickets of elephant grass are crossed by numerous rhino trails. There are common paths that many animals go to the mud baths, there are also "private" ones that lead to individual sites, and the owner zealously protects these paths. In the water or mud swamp, you can see several rhinos lying peacefully nearby. However, when the rhinos come ashore, their peaceful coexistence ends and fights often break out. Many rhinoceroses show scars from such battles. Rhinos can be quite dangerous. Often, an irritated rhinoceros, especially a female with a baby, rushes with a snore at the riding elephant and not always the mahaut (elephant driver) manages to keep the elephant. If the elephant is well trained and the mahout is experienced, then when the rhino attacks, the elephant remains in place, and the rhino, not reaching a few steps, stops or turns to the side. But if the elephant does not stand it, turns and starts to run away through the tall grass and bushes, then it is difficult for the rider to stay on his back. It is almost impossible to run away from an attacking rhinoceros. A disturbed rhinoceros makes a loud snore. The female, probably calling the cubs, grunts. The same grunt is occasionally emitted by peacefully grazing animals. The roar is emitted by wounded or caught rhinos, and during the rut, a special, whistling sound is heard that the female makes. The rut of rhinoceroses happens every one and a half months. At this time, the female pursues the male. For the first time, the female takes part in breeding at the age of 3-4 years, the male - at 7-9 years. After 16.5 months, a cub is born weighing about 65 kg, pink, with all the folds and outgrowths, but without a horn and with a pig-like muzzle. Rhinos live for about 70 years.

The Indian rhinoceros belongs to the rhino family and forms a species that lives in Central Asia. The beast is very large and second in size only to the Indian elephant. Its habitat is savannah and bushland. You can meet representatives of the species in the eastern regions of Pakistan, in the northeastern regions of India, in the south of Nepal and in the north of Bangladesh.

The animal lives in reserves. In India, the state of Assam has the largest population, which has more than 1,500 individuals. Approximately 600 animals live in the Chitwan Reserve Park in Nepal. In Pakistan, there are 300 individuals. In total, a little more than 2.5 thousand rhinos live in Asia today. This number remains stable and even gradually increases.

The beast is powerful and large. The height at the withers reaches 1.8 meters. The usual weight for males is 2.2 tons, but individuals weighing 2.5 and even 2.8 tons come across. Females are smaller than the representatives of the stronger sex. Their weight does not exceed 1.6 tons. There are no other characteristic differences between the sexes. There is only one horn on the muzzle. Its length ranges from 20 to 60 cm. With a small size, it does not look like a horn, but like a large bump located on the nose. There are 3 toes on the feet. The eyes are small, their expression is sleepy.

The skin has a pinkish-gray tint. It consists of large folds and resembles in its appearance a shell that covers the body. The effect is enhanced by the bumps that cover the skin. Wool is absent, only on the tail there is a small tassel. In general, the beast makes an awkward impression. At the same time, he can run at a speed of 50 km / h and swim well, unlike his African counterparts. They don't know how to swim at all. Vision is poor, but hearing and smell are well developed.

Reproduction and lifespan

Representatives of the species breed throughout the year. Females become sexually mature at 4 years old. And males usually mature by 8 years. In this matter, nature has acted very cleverly. If young males matured earlier, they still could not mate with females, since more mature and stronger representatives of the species would not allow them to. And at the age of 8, the male turns into a mighty beast, and can claim the right to continue his race. In battles with more mature opponents, he already emerges victorious, since youth always wins.

Pregnancy lasts 16 months. One large cub is born. Its weight reaches 40 kg. Milk feeding lasts about 2 years. The baby lives with the mother until the age of 3, until she becomes pregnant again. After that, she herself drives away her grown cub. Males, as a rule, go as far as possible, and females remain close to their mother. Sometimes they unite in small groups and raise young animals together. In the wild, the Indian rhinoceros lives for about 40 years. In zoos, the animal lives up to 60-65 years. But in any case, life in freedom is much better.

Behavior and nutrition

The diet consists of young low-growing grass, reed shoots, aquatic plants, elephant grass. The upper lip of the beast is keratinized and has a sharp edge. Therefore, the plant is easily cut and eaten. The animal is active in the morning and evening. During the day it rests in puddles and mud pits. At this time, birds settle on his back and peck out ticks from thick skin. Water among representatives of the species is considered a common territory, but each rhinoceros has its own land allotment. The beast marks it with its feces. The uninvited guest is escorted out. If he does not leave in an amicable way, then the duel begins. Therefore, the bodies of males are always covered with scars.

In the wild, the beast has no enemies. He is so strong and powerful that even a tiger bypasses him. But man at all times mercilessly destroyed the poor animal. First, the Indian rhinoceros caused disproportionate damage to crops. Naturally, the owners of the fields did not like this. Even today, when the animal lives in fenced reserves, it can break the fence and enter the fields. And in the old days, wildlife coexisted perfectly with agricultural land.

Secondly, there is a belief about the healing and magical properties of the rhinoceros horn. Therefore, the animal was mercilessly shot at all times, and the horns on the black market were extremely expensive. In the 21st century, prices have become even higher as the number of horns has dropped dramatically. Therefore, poachers penetrate even into nature reserves and kill animals.

In response to this, the state introduced very cruel laws. Reserve employees have the right to shoot at all strangers who find themselves in a fenced area. First they shoot, and only then they figure out who it is and what it needs. As a result of all these preventive measures, the population is now at a stable level.