白犀
- Northern white rhinoceroses cannot give birth. Both females of the northern subspecies are unable to carry offspring.
- Gestation lasts 16 months — one of the longest among mammals.
- The white rhinoceros is one of the largest land animals. The weight of old males reaches 4–4.5 tons, and body length is 4.2 m. The weight of adult individuals usually is 2–2.5 tons.
- Pregnancy in the white rhinoceros lasts 18 months. In the Umfotlozi reserve, this period was accurately determined.
- The lower lip of the white rhinoceros has a hardened edge that replaces missing incisors for grazing. The sharp edge allows it to bite grass right from the ground.
- The white rhino is the most social of all rhinos and forms groups called crashes.
- During the mating season, a male white rhinoceros does not tolerate competition and may kill a calf accompanying its mother. At this time, males are especially aggressive toward each other, and their fights are more intense than those of black rhinoceroses.
- The white rhinoceros can run up to 40 km/h, but only for short distances and in exceptional cases. It usually moves at a calm lope of 25–30 km/h and can run a significant distance.
- The upper lip of the white rhinoceros is wide and flat, unlike the pointed lip of the black rhinoceros. The main food of the white rhinoceros is grassy vegetation.
- Old male white rhinoceroses mark their territory with urine, spraying bushes and grass. They do this on areas where they graze constantly.
- The white rhino has poor eyesight but excellent smell and hearing.
- Female white rhinoceroses kill males if they attempt to mate. Otherwise, they immediately drive them away, and sometimes the situation escalates to the male's death.
年龄
The white rhinoceros typically lives for 35 to 50 years, with a maximum lifespan of 45 years and a theoretical lifespan ranging from 22 years and 6 months to 45 years; the species reaches sexual maturity between 3 years and 5 months and 5 years and 8 months of age. The young are born with their eyes open and begin walking immediately. The embryo develops inside the mother, followed by the infant stage, which lasts from birth until weaning. An adult individual, capable of reproduction, remains in that stage for a duration of 7 to 50 years.
表型
The white rhinoceros possesses powerful short legs with three toes, allowing it to run at a speed of up to 50 km per hour, and a broad square upper lip adapted for cutting grass close to the ground; an adult male has a large front horn made of keratin, serving for territory defense, digging, and fights, and a rear small horn made of keratin. Very thick gray skin protects an adult white rhinoceros from thorns, bites, and sunburns. A calf's thick gray skin with deep folds protects it from injuries and insects, and a small front horn made of keratin is used for play and protection.
生理学
The white rhinoceros possesses a body height ranging from 17.8 centimeters to 4.5 meters, and a body length between 3.2 and 4.2 meters; its mass varies from 1.83 to 1.89 tons. During the "Embryo" stage, the body mass is from 1 gram to 65 kilograms, while in the "Calf" stage, the body mass ranges from 65 kilograms to 0.4 tons, and the body length is between 1.2 and 1.6 meters. The "Adult" stage exhibits a body mass from 1.8 to 3.6 tons, with a body length of 3.4 to 4.2 meters.
栖息地
The white rhinoceros inhabits terrestrial landscapes such as grasslands and steppes, herbaceous land, coastal tidal zones, and shrublands, reaching elevations of up to 2 kilometers above sea level; the species is found in tropical savannas characterized by heat, uneven rainfall, and abundant grass and trees, as well as temperate steppes with plentiful grass and few trees where rains occur; it also occupies areas with hot summers and dry conditions, very arid environments with infrequent rainfall, and locations experiencing little precipitation in winter but more in summer, alongside regions that are always very wet with almost constant rain and high humidity.
庇护所
The white rhinoceros prefers to inhabit areas near water bodies and in the shade of trees, without having a permanent or long-term shelter. Females and males use mud and grasses for protection from parasites, rest, and sun protection. The species does not have a permanent shelter, but uses available materials for short-term protection.
地理
The white rhinoceros is found within the Afrotropical realm and occupies Mopane woodland-savanna habitats, including the Limpopo Lowveld and Zambezian mopane woodlands.
食性
The white rhinoceros feeds almost exclusively on short grasses; its broad snout allows it to cut grass close to the ground and the species employs a grazing feeding strategy. The diet consists of grasses, grains, grass, and cereal. The young consume milk. A daily food requirement ranges from 20 kilograms to 50 kilograms. The method of obtaining food is grazing.
繁殖
The white rhinoceros inhabits terrestrial environments and develops on land, away from bodies of water; its development begins with a gestation period of 1 year and 5 months, resulting in live birth of a single offspring. Reproduction is sexual, with the female carrying one calf for 16 months and caring for it for several years. The interval between reproduction events ranges from 2 to 4 years. Eggs or young develop within a nest built on the ground or close to it, which is located directly on the surface of the land; only the mother exhibits parental care for the offspring. The species reaches maturity between 5 years and 6 months and 10 years. Homogamy, meaning reproduction always involves fertilization without alternation of generations, characterizes the species’ reproductive strategy.