Greater One-Horned Rhino AKA Indian Rhino

Rhinoceros unicornis

Desiree Hartman Sci 1123 Unusual Animal Project I. Classification There are five rhinoceros species located on two continents. The Indian rhinoceros, or greater one-horned rhino is one of three Asian species. It is also known as greater one horned, rhinoceros. Kingdom: Animalia Class: Mammalia Family: Rhinocerotidae Species: R. unicornis Phylum: Chordata Order: Perissodactyla Genus: Rhinoceros Latin Name: Rhinoceros Unicornis Local Names: Gainda & Gargadan (Hindi), Marathi (Genda)

II. Habitat Indian Rhinos are native to the flood-plain grasslands and woodlands of Northern India. These rhino can often be seen in semi-submersed in water and are, the most amphibious of the five rhino species. In former times, greater one-horned rhinos roamed freely the floodplains and forests alongside the Brahmaputra, Ganges and Indus River valley. Nowadays only around 2,850 individuals are found in National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries in India and Nepal.

Desiree Hartman Sci 1123 Unusual Animal Project III. Appearance Indian rhinos have a brownish-grey, hairless skin, which develops thick folds, resembling armor plating. Several folds protect the back of the neck. The skin has a maximum thickness of 4 cm; the subcutaneous fat is 2-5 cm thick and well supplied with blood, which helps thermo-regulation. Between the folds, around the stomach, the inner legs and the facial area, the skin is rather soft and thin. The tail lays well embedded between the hind-leg folds. Fully-grown males are larger than females in the wild, weighing from 5,5007,100 lbs. The Indian rhino stands at 5.756.5 feet. Female Indian rhinos weigh about 1,900 kg and are 34 meters long. The record-sized specimen of this rhino was approximately 3,800 kg. The Indian rhino has a single horn that reaches a length of between 20 and 100 cm.

IV. Life cycle Up to 40 - 45 years in the wild. Females are sexually mature at 5-7 years of age; males at 810 years. Their gestation period is approximately 16 months (465-490 days; interval taken from the experience of 30 births at Basel Zoo), and they give birth every three years. The birth weight ranges from 60-77 kg (Basel Zoo ranges). A calf drinks on average 20-30 liters of milk per day and grows by 1-2 kg daily. They start nibbling / feeding on roughage at the age of 3-5 months and continue to suckle up to the age of 20 months in the wild, youngsters are predated by tiger. Adults have no enemies other than humans

V. Behavior Greater one-horned rhinos are usually solitary, except for females with small calves. Males have loosely defined territories, which are well defended by the dominant male but can overlap with other territories. The territories change according to food availability according

Desiree Hartman Sci 1123 Unusual Animal Project to the season. The females can move in and out of these territories, as they like Male greater one-horned rhinos fight violently for these favorite places. It might happen that fights end with the death of one male (in general, the badly wounded animal dies days after the fight due to the inflicted wounds) If food is abundant, it is not unusual to see several animals all grazing close together. They feed on wide variety of plants with a strong seasonal variation like grass, fruits, leaves and branches of trees and shrubs, submerged and floating aquatic plants and agricultural crops. They can also eat on average 1% of their body weight daily. They have a prehensile upper lip, which assists in grasping their food Greater one-horned rhinos have long lower incisor teeth. In males they can become up to 8 cm long. They are used in fighting and can inflict deep wounds. They are very good swimmers and can dive and feed under water. They seem to enjoy the wet element. They have a good sense of smelling and hear very well, but are rather short sighted. This is one of the reasons why they tend to attack at the last moment or out of the blue. Indian rhinos can run fast and are very agile. In greater one-horned rhinos, 12 different communication sounds are known, which are frequently used. Indian rhinos spend up to 60% per day wallowing (most frequently during the monsoon, less during the winter). The access to mud is essential for thermo-regulation and to get rid of parasites.

Desiree Hartman Sci 1123 Unusual Animal Project

Wallows can be places were several individuals meet. After wallowing they separate again. Wallowing helps thermo-regulation by preventing overheating. The mud, covering the animal body, serves as skin care.

VI. Status of Populations There are only about 2,000 2,600 endangered Indian rhinos currently in the wild. They once ranged from Pakistan to Burma, but have decreased historically due to habitat loss and poaching. Due to loss of feeding sites, and the resulting crop-raiding, there are growing conflicts between rhinos and farmers. Back in the 1970s and 80s, horn from rhinos killed in East Africa tended to end up in the Yemen, where it could be made into ornamental handles for daggers (jambiyas), while horn from rhinos poached in southern Africa (as well as from those poached in Asia) made its way to the Far East where it is used in traditional medicine.

VII. Citations