The Black Rhino

1. The Black Rhino The Black Rhino is in critical condition because of hunters in Africa where it generally lives. They are mainly prized for their horns and hunters have decimated the population of them because of this. By Benjamin F. Image by: SarahDepper “Black Rhinoceros”

2. Classification Image by: Frank.Vassen Kingdom – Animalia Phylum – Chordata Class – Mammalia Infraclass – Eutheria Order – Perissodactyla Family – Rhinocerotidea Genus – Diceros Species – Bicornis Scientific name: Diceros bicornis Also called the “Hook-Lipped” Rhinoceros. “Black Rhinoceros”

3. Morphology Image by: Frank.Vassen Small brain Long horn Thick skin formed by collagen Teeth Lips They are not black: they are grey “Rhinoceros”

4. Feeding Habits Image by: Just Chaos Herbivore (Wildlife Africa) Leaves(Wildlife Africa) Fruits (Wildlife Africa) Herbs (Wildlife Africa) Flowers (Wildlife Africa) Go up to 5 days without water ( Black Rhino) Eat up to 220 species of plants ( Black Rhino)

5. Reproduction Image by: USFWS Headquarters Courtship includes snorting and sparring Repeated several times over 2-3 days Last about 30 minutes Weighs about 35 Kg gestation is 15 months Calf follows mother everywhere Fertilization internally “Wildlife Africa”

6. Image by: Az Jade Adaptions Prehensile lip to gather leaves and flowers 2 sharp horns to ward off predators They charge at attackers Run at 30 miles per hour Swing their heads to defend themselves “The Black Rhinoceros”

7. Descriptions of Traits The horns of the Black Rhinoceros are used for sparing with other males during the mating season and for defense when a predator tries to attack it. The lip of the Black Rhino is pointed and is used like a hand to rip off leaves and flowers from shrubs and trees. Image by: RockinDave1

8. Image by: Kibacchi Habitat The Black Rhinoceros called a variety of habitats home. The habitat of the Black Rhino is mostly low-lying shrub land with occasional trees and oasis scattered about. They where once found throughout most of Sub-Sahara Africa but counting the recent decimations of the population they are only found in some parts of Africa now The Deserts of Namibia to wooded grasslands and acacia savannahs are some of the only places that they are found on Earth. “Black Rhinoceros (DicerosBicornis)”

9. Threats Image by: Andrew_Ross The threats to this Black Rhinoceros are mainly Anthropogenic. They are hunted for their horns. People will shoot them and kill them, then cut off their tusks and leave the rest of the animal to rot. These humans that kill them are called poachers and they sell the horns to rich people who want furniture or knife handles made out of the horn. “Black Rhinoceros (DicerosBicornis)”

10. Population Distribution This species has multiple reports of the estimated number of species. The estimates are between 2,500 at the lowest and 4,000 at the highest. This species has reached the point of critically endangered. If nothing stops in perhaps the next three to five years, this species could only be found in zoos. “Black Rhinoceros (Dicerosbicornis)”

11. Image by: Derek Keats Fun Facts Name is false actually grey Has two horns made of keratin (hair, fingernails) 96% of the population lost between 1970 and 1992 Black Rhino has a cousin named the White Rhinoceros and they have completely different traits This species has only about 3,760 animals living in the wild. “Black Rhinoceros (DicerosBicornis)”

12. Sites Dedicated to helping Rhinos http://www.awf.org/section/wildlife/rhinos http://worldwildlife.org/species/rhino These are only two of the many organizations that are trying to help the Black Rhino survive. Some of these many organizations are just collecting money to send out to try to protect them. Some organizations a promoting awareness. The ones that really are in the front lines are using a new technique where they cut the horns off of the Rhino so they won’t be a target. This has worked but then the Rhino cannot sufficiently protect itself from natural predators such as lions

13. Fun Facts Cont. Image by: Chadica Some countries have tried the tactic of dehorning the Rhinos to make them not a target to hunters. The rhinoceros got it’s name for its horns. They are made out of the same material our fingernails are made out of. They are related to the zebra and the horse. “Black Rhino”

14. Movie Movie by: National Geographic

15. Works Cited Web: • Flickr. Yahoo!, n.d. Web. 11 Dec. 2012. • "Black Rhinoceros." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 27 Nov. 2012. Web. 11 Dec. 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Rhinoceros>. • "Rhinoceros." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 12 Oct. 2012. Web. 11 Dec. 2012. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhinoceros • "Wildlife Africa- Black Rhino, Behavior, Africa, Wilflife." Wildlife Africa- Black Rhino, Behavior, Africa, Wilflife. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Dec. 2012. <http://www.wildlifeafrica.co.za/blackrhinobehavior.html>. • "Black Rhino - DicerosBicornis." RRC: Black Rhino. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Dec. 2012. <http://www.rhinoresourcecenter.com/species/black-rhino/>. • "The Black Rhinoceros." Adapations, Traits, Relationships -. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Dec. 2012. <http://blackrhinoceros.wetpaint.com/page/Adapations, Traits, Relationships>. • "Black Rhinoceros (DicerosBicornis)." Black Rhinoceros Photo. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Dec. 2012. <http://www.arkive.org/black-rhinoceros/diceros-bicornis/image-G112062.html>. • "Saving the Black Rhino." YouTube. YouTube, 17 Apr. 2008. Web. 12 Dec. 2012. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilF0nU_d0CY>. Images: • SarahDepper • Frank.Vassen • Just Chaos • USFWS Headquarters • Derek Keats • RockinDave1 • Andrew_ross • Kibacchi • Chadica