Rhino
Introductions
Hello, Rhino Researcher. I’m Myron, a black rhino. People tend to think of us as being ill-tempered louts who charge at anyone and everyone we see, but that’s just poppycock. In our defense, our eyesight is so poor that if you stood 100 feet (30 meters) away, we would only detect your presence if you moved. As a result, we are easily surprised. So, while my primary response to danger is to bolt away, there are times when a boulder, tree, or human startles me and then I may charge in their direction. However, we are also much more than our reputed bad temper! For example, did you know that rhino moms are among the most devoted parents on the planet?
As the dominant male in my territory, I have a lot to say about, well, everything. So, if you’ll gather around, I’ll tell you all about what it’s really like to be a big, tough rhinoceros.
Fast Facts
Where We Live
Tropical and subtropical Africa and Asia
IUCN Status
We are all threatened with extinction, and some of us are critically
endangered primarily due to:
- Illegal hunting, including being poached for our horns
- Habitat loss and fragmentation
- Climate change
Celebrity rhinos
Najin and Fatu are the last two Northern white rhinos. The mother-
daughter pair live under 24-hour protection at Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya and unfortunately, neither of them can have children as nature intended. While their situation is dire, it has inspired scientists to explore using preserved DNA and in vitro fertilization (IVF) as a possible way to keep the species going.
world rhino day
is September 22!
Fun Fact
While we have improbably poor eyesight, we compensate with our excellent hearing. Our ears twitch at every slight sound and can actually move independently when we’re examining multiple noises. Even when we’re asleep, our ears remain active.
Species of Rhino
There are five species of rhino living today. Two live in Africa and three reside in Asia.
African Rhinos
White and black rhinos hail from Africa. Despite our names, we all have the same color gray skin. (Believe it not, “white” is a mispronunciation of the Afrikaans “weit” meaning wide lips rather than being a reference to color.) We overlap in some locations, so the easiest way to tell us apart is the shape of our lips.
- IUCN Status: Near Threatened, with approximately 10,000 mature individuals
- Find me in tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas of Southern Africa
- Recognize me by my square lips, two horns, and pronounced hump behind the neck. I weigh 4,000-5,500 pounds (1,800-2,500 kilograms)
- Subspecies: Northern, Southern
- Awards: biggest horns, largest African rhino, most social rhino, sole square lipped rhino
- IUCN Status: Critically endangered, with approximately 3,000 mature individuals
- Find me in tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas in Southern and Eastern Africa
- Recognize me by my prehensile hooked upper lip and two horns. I weigh between 2,000-3,000 pounds (900-1,350 kilograms)
- Subspecies: Southwestern, South-central, Eastern
- Awards: smallest African rhino
Asian Rhinos
Greater one-horned, Javan, and Sumatran rhinos are found in Asia. We all have a hooked upper lip (also called prehensile) but differ in where we live, our skin color, number of horns, and whether we sport armored plating.
- IUCN Status: Vulnerable, with approximately 2,000 mature individuals
- Find me in tropical and subtropical swamps, forests, and riversides of India and Nepal
- Recognize me by my ashy gray skin, single horn, and huge folds in my skin that look like armored plating. I weigh 4,000-5,000 pounds (1,800-2,500 kilograms)
- Awards: largest Asian rhino, semi-aquatic rhino
- IUCN Status: Critically endangered, with fewer than 20 mature individuals
- Find me in tropical and subtropical rainforests of Indonesia’s Java
- Recognize me by my grey-brown skin, single horn, and huge folds in my skin that look like armored plating. I weigh 2,000-5,000 pounds (900-2,300 kilograms)
- Awards: most endangered rhino
- IUCN Status: Critically Endangered, with approximately 30 mature individuals
- Find me in the dense tropical and subtropical forests of Sumatra and Borneo.
- Recognize me by my reddish-brown skin, shaggy hair, and unique skin folds. I weigh 1,100-2,100 pounds (500-960 kilograms) and am the only Asian rhino with two horns.
- Awards: smallest rhino species, hairiest rhino
Rhino Social Structure
When we’re younger, we may pair up with another rhino in our age range or tag along with an older rhino. But once we grow up, we keep to ourselves – just the way it ought to be. The only time you might see us in small groups is down at the waterhole or mud wallow.
When it comes to living arrangements, males like me (we’re called bulls) have our own territory, which may overlap with several females (called cows), their calves, and potentially some scrappy adolescents – but only if they mind their manners. I patrol my turf and mark it so that everyone knows whose patch this is. I don’t venture outside of my zone, nor do I share space with other bulls, and they usually have the good sense to steer clear. Now and then, though, one of ’em gets bold—usually when there’s a cow around who’s ready for some male companionship. That’s when the horns come out. Let’s just say those battles don’t always end with both of us walking away.
The ladies? Well, most of the time they’ve got a calf tagging along, and they’re not too interested in additional company. They’re not exactly social butterflies, but their territories overlap so they cross paths now and then. When they do, they’re a lot more neighborly about it than we bulls are. They may hang out for a bit – anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours – then go their separate ways.
Lifestyle of the white rhino
Unlike other rhino species, female white rhinos are considered semi-social and may spend their time in groups of two to six. While not common, they have been seen in groups of up to fifteen individuals. Groups of rhinos are called “crashes.”
Growing Up Rhino
Dawn of a New day
I was born in the middle of a scrubby clearing — just me and Mom, and a whole lot of bushes. She got right to work licking me clean like it was her job (because, well, it kind of was). Within an hour, I was able to stand and by my second hour, I was able to walk. I used my new-found talents to wobble over to mom to start nursing. I weighed in at 120 pounds (55 kilograms) that day and had a conical nubbin on my nose rather than a horn.
It took a few days until I was steady enough on my hooves to be mobile. Once I was ready, Mom led the way, and we moved slowly towards the waterhole so she could get a proper drink. We stopped frequently along the way so I could rest and Mom could snack. I sniffed her food during a few of our stops and was intrigued. When I hit the one-week mark, I gave some grass a nibble. A week after that, I sampled some of the woody vegetation Mom was crunching and boom – I’ve been hooked ever since. Can’t beat a mouthful of twigs with a side of leaves, if you ask me.
After the waterhole, our next grand expedition was to the wallow. Mom plopped right down in the mud, so I flopped down next to her. She proceeded to roll around until she was completely coated. After a few weeks, I was ready to see what all the fuss was about. I mimicked what Mom did and I’ve been a huge fan of wallowing since that day.
Life settled into a routine after that. Between trips to the waterhole and a good role in the mud, I spent about half of my day resting and the remainder trailing behind Mom and chomping on leaves and twigs. Speaking of which, not only did I nosh on these adult rhino foods, but I was also still nursing. When I got hungry, I’d let out these cooing noises to give Mom the hint—or cry like a banshee if she tried to shut down the milk bar too soon. All these foods helped me pack on the pounds and by the time I was one month old, I tipped the scales at just over 170 pounds (80 kilograms). Not bad for a little guy, huh?
the wiles of wallowing
Wallowing is a labor of love for us rhinos. Our skin is up to two inches thick, but it’s very sensitive. Covering ourselves in mud protects us from the sun and pesky insects. Plus, it helps us stay cooler in our tropical homes.
Glue Sticks
For my first month, I stuck like glue to Mom. Most of the time we were touching, and even when we weren’t, I never strayed more than a few feet (one meter) from her. But every now and then, I’d get the zoomies while Mom dined. I’d take off galloping, circle around, sprint back, then do it all over again. After a good romp, I’d come barreling back and give Mom a head-butt to the legs. Then I’d turn away like nothing happened and pretend I was just sniffing some plants—like the innocent lad that I was. Other times, I’d practice my head tossing technique or my sparring with Mom. She was always a good sport about playing with me.
One time, we were in the middle of a good ol’ sparring match—me charging, Mom dodging—when all of a sudden, the birds around us started screeching. I didn’t have a clue what was going on, but Mom sure did. There was a lion lurking around in the nearby bushes. Now, let me tell you something—when it’s time to move, we don’t dawdle. Rhinos can hit 35 miles per hour (55 kilometers per hour), and we booked it. She bulldozed right through the thick bush like it was paper, and I was right on her heels. Like all terrified rhinos, I made a chirping noise as I fled!
As time went on, I stayed glued to Mom’s side. She was one tough lady — fierce as anything when it came to keeping me safe. Lucky for me, I had front-row seats to see how it’s done. And little by little, I started picking up the techniques I’d need to eventually look after myself. As I grew, my horns finally started poking through when I was a few months old. I hit another major milestone when I was 4 months old and had my first drink of water.
During our days of meandering, Mom and I would occasionally meet up with other moms and their calves. Most often, we’d see Cordelia and Chester. When that happened, first Mom and Cordelia would greet each other by touching noses. Then I’d say howdy to Chester, who was a few months younger than me. During our visit, Chester and I would enjoy a good game of chase and practice our head-butting and horn-wrestling skills until Mom said it was time to go.
Moving on
When I hit two years old, Mom shut down the milk bar for good. Just like that — no warning, no last call. Absolute travesty. Still, we stayed thick as thieves for another year while she went about teaching me the finer points of rhino adulthood.
By the time I turned three, my horns had come in fully—I looked sharp, literally and figuratively. But right around then, Mom chased me off like I was yesterday’s news. I was stunned. I didn’t understand why until I saw her with a new calf, my baby brother Vernon.
I wasn’t quite ready to be on my own yet, so I fell in with Cordelia and Chester. The three of us stayed together as a unit for several months until I gradually drifted away. As I moved on from my temporary family, I found Seymour who was also newly independent of his mom. We stuck together for a while, two rookies trying to learn our place in the world.
Lucky for us, the dominant bull in the area, Nelson, let us hang around. Guess he figured we weren’t a threat yet. Every now and then, he would bang horns with one of us and we’d respond by adopting a submissive pose and backing away slowly. Despite his initial generosity, Nelson’s attitude changed dramatically when I turned eight. One of our usual sparring matches turned serious —he wasn’t playing anymore. He came at me like a freight train and chased me for nearly a mile. I high tailed it out of there and never looked back. Word is that Seymour suffered the same fate shortly thereafter.
lifestyle of the white rhino
When in danger, black rhinos like me follow our moms to safety. Since the bush is so thick, this ensures that I don’t run somewhere that she can’t follow. White rhino calves, though, stand in front of their moms when they feel threatened. This allows mom to keep a closer eye on her baby in the flat plains they prefer.
Adulting, Rhino Style
This Land is MY Land so Get Off My Lawn!
Once I left my natal territory, I spent time exploring new areas. By the time I was ten years old, I found a vacant territory to call my own. There was a lot of thick scrub and bushland around so there was plenty to eat. Beatrice and Maude also lived in the area, along with their calves. Melvin, Beatrice’s adolescent son, also called my new territory home.
While I’m fine sharing my turf with the ladies and their children, I am not ok with other adult males being present. If I see one on my turf, I immediately confront him by flattening my ears, curling my lips, and making a shrill groaning noise. If he doesn’t desist, I follow my display up by snorting and screaming loudly to get his attention. I may also charge in his direction but pull up short. If he still refuses to vacate my premises, I spar with him using my horns until he sees the error of his ways. Kids these days!
Speaking of other adult males, Woodrow’s territory borders mine. We occasionally meet at our boundary. When that happens, we face each other with our horns almost touching and stare the other down. Eventually one of us backs off, swipes the ground, and mock charges until we are again standing horn-to-horn. We may remain like this for an hour until one of us eventually retreats.
While we don’t often stray beyond our own territories, sometimes during the dry season Woodrow tries to sneak over to my waterhole. He’s usually a gentleman about being caught, though, and allows me to shepherd him back to his own territory so our relationship remains relatively diplomatic. That is, until a nearby lady rhino is ready for male companionship. Then it’s each rhino for himself.
Rhino Communications
While we may not have a lot to say, we rhinos have a variety of calls and sounds that we use to express ourselves, including snorts, grunts, squeaks, and trumpets. As I show any male intruder, my snorts indicate anger. I also snort when something startles me. And if you hear me let out a deep resonant “mmwonk”, that means I’m content.
The Mating Game
Even though Beatrice and Maude live in the neighborhood, I generally only run into them sporadically at the mud wallow or waterhole. On rare occasions, I will see one of them out and about. When that happens, I approach the lady with a series of “hic-pants”, which is a breathy inhalation followed by a hiccup. If she allows me to approach, I sneak a whiff of her urine to see if she is ready for my company. This can be a dangerous sport, though, because when she is “ready for my company” she tends to be even more aggressive about turning me away.
If I detect that Beatrice, Maude, or another lovely lady will soon be ready for me, I try to overcome her hostile tendencies by tailing her, although I maintain a healthy distance of fifteen feet (five meters) during our courtship to be on the safe side. Periodically, she will turn to face me, and I respond by thrashing my head from side to side. I will woo her thusly over the next week or more until she gets used to my presence. The only thing I insist upon is that she stays in my territory. If she tries to leave, I will chase her back.
As our romantic connection solidifies, my lady initiates our courtship ritual and over the next several hours we head-butt one another, wrestle, bite, and joust with our horns to assert our dominance. Once feasible, I approach her cautiously, swinging my head from side to side while huffing and snorting. I must remain alert, though, so I can retreat if she threatens me. Eventually, she calms down enough to allow me to rest my head on her rump. She may backtrack from this point several times over the next few hours until we play the mating game. Afterwards, I remain with her for several days to ensure Woodrow doesn’t get any bright ideas.
Lifestyles of Lady Rhinos
Hi! I’m Beatrice. I thought you might want to know a little bit more about us lady rhinos. We mature a little sooner than the boys do, around the age of five. After a round of the mating game, we give birth to a calf 15-16 months later. We raise the little one as a single parent, devoting our time to caring for, teaching, and protecting our bundle of joy. We continue to have calves until our early 30’s and then live another decade on our own without bearing more children.
A Typical Day for Me as an Adult
In the Morning, When I Rise
I am a bit of a creature of habit throughout my daily routine, regularly visiting my preferred areas at customary times each day. For example, I rise from my bedding spot before dawn and commence snacking in my favorite feeding areas. I may spend up to half of my day eating so it’s good to get a jump on it. I eat a variety of vegetation such as leaves, twigs, and herbs, but my favorites are small thorn trees such as acacia.
I have several built-in tools to use when I dine. For example, my hooked lip functions like a mini four-inch trunk that I can use to grab leaves and guide them into my mouth. I can also use my horns to knock down higher branches and to scrape bark off trees.
While I’m eating, I often pause to listen to my surroundings and take a quick look around. Heavens to Betsy! Something just moved in the distance. It startles me to the point that I get my charge on and rush towards the offending object, pulling up just shy of it. Well, I’ll be! Now that I’m closer, I realize it’s just a tree with some birds that took flight. My bad. Back to breakfast.
By 10:00 AM, it’s ferociously hot, so I head to my favorite shade tree for a nap. When I get there, I stand in the cooler shadows of the tree for a few moments. My tree does double duty as it’s also where I sharpen my horns. It’s nearly smooth at the base because I’ve been using it for so long. Horns honed, before I settle down to rest, I detour to the local lavatory. When I reach the communal pile, I sniff it to glean what I can about the last rhino that used it. Clues obtained, I scrape my hindlegs in the pile as I relieve myself to spread my dung around.
Task complete, I head back to my shade tree for a nap, with my hooves curled up slightly to the side. I get up briefly two hours later, listen for any threats, then move a few paces to my left for another nap. I’ll stay here for the duration of the hottest part of the day.
Comment from an Oxpecker: If You See Something, Say Something
Hi there! Woody the Oxpecker here. I often hang out with Myron while he’s munching away. He brings so much to the literal table – like ticks and other tasty parasites hiding on his skin. Yum! It’s a good idea to keep your meal ticket safe so my motto is if you see something, say something. I raise a real ruckus if I spot trouble on the horizon for Myron, like a lion, human, or anything else with teeth and bad intentions.
Lifestyles of the Other Rhinos
All of us are vegetarians, content to browse peacefully on the local cuisine. While I prefer leaves and branches, here’s what the rest of the rhino crew noshes on:
- White rhinos are grazers that primarily eat grasses
- Greater one-horned rhinos graze on grasses and plants close to water as well as scrub.
- Javan rhinos prefer to browse on leaves, shoots, and fruits with plenty of water
- Sumatran rhinos browse on a variety of leaves, twigs, and shoots
Afternoonified
Around 3:00 PM, it’s time for snacks. After I get my fill, it’s time for my wallow. I roll on my left side, covering myself with mud then rise and do the same for my right side. I follow up by rolling my back in the mud. Once I’m fully slathered, I submerge myself and surrender to the glory of the mud for the next hour. Then it’s back to foraging.
Night Time Is the right Time
Because I rely on senses other than my sight, I can remain active throughout the night. As the sun sets, I follow my usual route to my waterhole. When I arrive, I submerge myself in the water up to my belly and drink for several minutes. After a brief pause, I drink for another few minutes and then get out of the water quickly. Back on land, I remain motionless for a few moments while I take a listen. As my senses tell me it’s all clear, I make my way back to my usual nighttime resting spot, eating along the way.
Once I’m back at my bedding site, I crash for a two-hour nap then continue my food fest. Over the course of the day, I rest for a total of eight hours and eat 60 pounds of vegetation. Just thinking about it is enough to exhaust me. Time for a nap before I rise to start another new day.
Rhino Communications
While we may not have a lot of verbal conversations, we rhinos have an acute sense of smell and rely heavily on scent to communicate with each other. In addition to marking my territory with urine, I also use the local lavatories, known as middens, along our common pathways to exchange information with my neighbors. And I have a lot of information to share, dropping 44 pounds (20 kilograms) of dung over the course of a day.
How To Help Us
If you’re interested in helping us rhinos, I have a few suggestions. Since our top threats are poaching and illegal hunting, you can support organizations that patrol our homes or guard us. Habitat loss is also a problem, so you could help organizations that are preserving or restoring our homes. Also, since climate change is worsening conditions where we live, you can also reduce your carbon footprint. And don’t forget the power of your voice. The more people know about what’s happening to rhinos, the more likely they are to care. You can raise awareness by sharing this site or what you’ve learned with friends —sometimes, just one conversation can inspire real change.
Returning the Favor.
Since you’re considering helping us, I’d like to return the favor. We rhinos have thick skin that protects us from would-be predators. While you humans can’t literally extend your epidermis, you can learn to develop a metaphorical “thick skin” to buffer yourself when you feel under attack or times are otherwise challenging. You’ll be more resilient in the long run if you do. Also, we rhinos listen—to the birds on our backs, the sounds in the grass, and the shifting winds. Same goes for you humans: learning to listen—to others, to your environment, and even to your own intuition—can help you navigate life’s wild terrain. So don’t forget to keep your ears open.
For more information on rhinos, read Ann and Steve Toon’s Rhinos: Natural History and Conservation or check out this video.
Special thanks to Michelle Szydlowski, Ph.D., of Miami University for serving as our rhino expert and sharing her photos with us.
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