![]() During confrontations, they growl and make ‘trumpet calls’. Rhinos make an array of funny noises when they’re communicating. Help us saving the rhinos! Fact 10: They communicate through sneezes and poo Their horns grow continuously during their lifetime – the white rhino’s horn can grow 7 cm every year – and the record length is 150 cm long! This is why we know there is no truth to the myth that rhino horn contains curative properties. Javan and greater one-horned rhinos only have one horn, whereas all the other rhino species have two horns. Rhino horn is made up of keratin – the same protein which forms the basis of our hair and nails. Fact 9: Their horn is made from the same stuff as your fingernails Early English explorers mistook this word for ‘white’ and consequently named this species ‘white’ rhino, and the other ‘black’ rhino to differentiate. The white rhino is said to have gotten its name from the Afrikaans word for wide (‘wyd’), referring to its wide, square lip, in contrast to the black rhino’s pointy upper lip. The names of black and white rhinos are misleading – as both are actually grey. Here comes the crash, Photo credit: Alex van Rijckevorsel Fact 8: Black and white rhinos are both, in fact, grey White rhinos on the other hand are the most gregarious of the 5 rhino species and can often be seen in groups of up to 15. Recent research has indicated they are more social than previously thought, particularly around water holes at night. Fact 7: Rhinos like to socialiseīlack rhinos have a reputation for being shy, solitary animals that are very territorial. Fortunately, the majority of rhino hunting today is done with a camera rather than a gun. The reason for this is that the Big 5 (lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino) got their name from being the 5 most dangerous animals to hunt on foot. The rhino referred to in the Big 5 is in fact the black rhino. ![]() ![]() That’s why at Rhino Africa we refer to our Rhino family as The Rhino Crash! Fact 6: Which rhino belongs in the Big 5? The collective noun for a group of Rhinos is a rhino crash. Book a dream safari with us and see cute baby rhinos in the wild, Photo Credit: Tswalu Tarkuni Lodge Fact 5: It takes a crash to make a family ![]() Rhinos have a gestation period of between 16 and 18 months and can have a calf about every 3 years. This is mighty impressive considering they mainly eat grass and leaves! Fact 4: Baby rhinos are the cutestĪ black rhino’s baby will always run behind its mother, while a white rhino’s baby will always run in front of her. Of the five remaining species of rhino, the white rhino is the heaviest, weighing up to 2300 kg (5000 pounds) while the Sumatran rhino is the smallest weighing in at around 1000 kg (2200 pounds). Like the rhinoceros, it was once spread across much of sub-Saharan Africa, but is today restricted to the savannas of southern and eastern Africa, where the remaining rhino populations roam. The botfly numbers have declined steeply as the black and white rhino numbers have declined through poaching. It is a parasite of the black and white rhino, and the fly depends on the rhinoceros gut for reproduction. The rhinoceros stomach botfly is the largest fly species known in Africa. Our majestic spirit animal, Photo credit: Cathy Withers Fact 2: The life of a fly is dependent on a Rhino There are five species of rhino that can still be found in the wild, namely the black (5000 animals) and white (19000 animals) rhinos of sub-Saharan Africa, the greater one-horned rhino of India, (3500 animals) the Sumatran rhino (80 animals) found on the Indonesian islands of Sumatra and Borneo, and the most critically endangered rhino of them all, the Javan rhino (60 animals) found in Ujung Kulon National Park in Java, Indonesia. As we celebrate our spirit animal and namesake on World Rhino Day, 22 September, here are 11 fun facts you might not know about rhinos. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |