Black Rhino

Black Rhino

One animal species that I find so fascinating but would never in a million years want to upset would be the rhino. I mean their huge and powerful creatures with a sharp horn on their heads. I would study them from afar. But because they are so truly fascinating they need to be kept alive. They most popular species of rhino that we see in all the pictures and movies from African is the Black Rhino and surprisingly they are critically endangered meaning they are in more danger of extinction than regularly endangered animals.

This species also known as Diceros Bicornis only has a population of around 4,840! This is very small for a species living on the large continent of Africa. The height seams normal for this animals being around 5.2 feet but the interesting fact is how much they weight ranging from 1,760 to 3,080 pounds!! I definitely wouldn’t was a 3,000 pound animal to step on me! They are located in the tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and deserts in southern Africa, mostly Namibia and Coastal East Africa.

Photo: Close view of a black rhinoceros

Interestingly, both the black rhino and white rhino species have grey colored skin. The difference between the two are their lip shape. Black rhinos have a pointed upper lip while white rhinos have a more squared lip. This difference is due to their eating habits. Black rhinos are browsers and will eat mostly trees and bushes as they pluck leaves and fruit from branches. On the other hand, white rhinos will graze on grasses, keeping their squared shaped lips and heads close to the ground.

The Black rhino is a lonely creature, but they choose to be that way. You will not find them in a herd hanging around other rhinos, this will only lead to fighting. They will stay on their own except females and their offspring for around the first three years of the baby’s life.

PHOTO: Black Rhinoceros.

Rhinos are found to feed and eat during the night when the African sun isn’t intense. This allows them to relax during the day, finding cover and laying in the shade. A funny connection between rhinos and mud has always been made to me and I discovered there is a reason! Black rhinos love to roll around in the mud by watering holes because it creates a coating over their skin. These animals are genius because the coating works as both a bug repellent and sun block!

Probably the most prominent feature to the Black Rhino and its largest downfall is its two large horns. Their hard to miss which is the rhino’s best and worst feature. The horns grown about three inches per year, one of the largest known as five feet long!! You really don’t want to mess with these animals because mothers will have no problem using them to protect their children. The reason its horns are a downfall for the rhino is because of its attraction to hunters.

Black Rhino

A large cause to the endangerment of the Black Rhinos is poaching. They are hunted for their horns which are sold on the black market for medicine and used as the hilt in daggers and knives. These levels of hunting have not let up either, continuously increasing the speed at which these animals will go extinct. A secondary threat which should also be mentioned is once again habitat loss. Rhino conservancies have been invaded by landless people which reduces in large amounts safe land for these creatures to live. These immense creatures need to be saved. As humans we cannot continue to destroy our Earth and kill its living creatures. Plus the Black Rhino is really cool with nothing else like it! It’s cute in a way too! Or maybe that’s just me! 

Black Rhino

5 thoughts on “Black Rhino

  1. It’s preposterous that people continue to poach these animals because their horns are made out of the same exact stuff as our finger nails and hair.

  2. These animals are so crazy cool! The almost look like they could be direct descendants of dinosaurs based on their horns and size. I never knew the difference between black and white rhinos so it was cool to hear how they adapted to fit into their eating habits. These animals are so strong and wonderful, it is hard to believe that someone would want to take their beauty away just to make daggers and knifes…like isn’t there another way to make these things without having to kill off an entire species?! It makes me so mad to see this, not only with rhinos, but with many other animals that you have written about before. Poachers need to be stopped!

  3. Sleeping all day and rolling around in the mud plus playing and eating all night? I think I found my new spirit animal.

  4. Hmm, Well sometimes I like to be a lonely black rhino. hahaha… Anyways, I didn’t realize that they weighed almost 3,000 pounds! Seriously, that could crush someone in an instant. It is also interesting to know that they have two horns not one; however, much like elephants, they should not be hunted for this reason. I wish my skin worked as bug repellent and sunscreen! Unfair black rhinos!

  5. I think they’re so cute too! It’s so sad that they are being hunted for their horns. Like why can’t people find some other resources instead of killing innocent animals to make a profit? I didn’t know about the difference in black and white rhinos. I also didn’t know they like to be alone! It’s interesting that they are so independent and self-sufficient creatures. Thanks for the post!

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