OUR RHINOS 101
RHINO
KEY FACTS
Rhinos are in CRITICAL danger of extinction! If we don't change their situation, when I am 18 years old, rhinos will be all gone.
They have only one baby at a time, and their gestation lasts about 18 months. This makes it difficult to reproduce very fast!
Babies need to stay with their mommies for 2-3 years before they live on their own.
Rhinos are the biggest mammals on the planet after the elephants.
Rhinos are very important for the ecosystem. For example, the white rhinos help shape the habitat by increasing plant diversity and making feeding spots for other animals.
For more information on this topic, click here.
5 SPECIES
OF RHINO
ASIA
Javan Rhino
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Lives only in Java, Indonesia
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There are none in captivity
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Only about 40 live today
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Folded skin that looks like armored plates
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One horn (some females have none)
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Up to 5000 lbs and 6 ft tall
Indian Rhino
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Lives in India and Nepal
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Also called the "greater one-horned" rhinoceros
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Only about 2500 live today
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Very thick brown skin with soft pink folds that separate the plates
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One horn that grows to 25 centimeters
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Live about 45 years
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Up to 4600 lbs and 6.3 ft tall
Sumatran Rhino
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Lives in Sumatra and Kalimantan, Indonesia
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Fewer than 100 live today
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Coverred with long hair
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Only Asian rhino with 2 horns
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Smallest rhino specie; up to 2100 lbs and 5 ft tall
AFRICA
White Rhino
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Lives in Africa
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Got their name from their wide mouth
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About 20,000 live today
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Skin is grey or brown
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Flat and very wide upper lip
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Eats grass from the ground
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Their horn can grow up to 1,5 meters
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Lives up to 50 years in the wild
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Up to 5100 lbs and 6.1 ft tall
Black Rhino
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Lives in Africa
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Also known as the "hooked-lipped" rhino
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Only about 4,800 live today
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Skin is not black in color!
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Long upper lip that looks like a hook used to pull leaves and fruits from trees and bushes
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Lives about 32 years in the wild
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Up to 3100 lbs and 5.9 ft tall
DID YOU KNOW?
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The rhino horn is made of keratin, the same stuff our hair and nails are made of
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Rhinos are very fast and can easily change directions while running
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All rhinos are strict vegetarians
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They can sleep standing up or laying down
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Rhinos are kind and gentle while interacting with each other
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They are very territorrial
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They have great hearing and smelling