Great one – horned Rhinoceros

The word “rhinoceros” comes from the Greek words for “nose horn.” The rhino is the only mammal that has a horn
attached to its nose rather than the top of its head. Both African species and one of the Asian species of rhino have
two horns. The other two species of Asian rhino have only one horn. Asian rhinos tend to have much shorter horns
than African ones.

The Great Asian rhinoceros, also known as the greater one-horned rhinoceros and the Indian rhinoceros, is the
second-largest of the world’s five rhino species.

Male Asian rhinos are larger than females and can grow as large as12 feet in length and weigh as much as 6,000
pounds. Females usually only grow to be 10 - 11 feet long and weigh in at a svelte 4,000 pounds.

The Asian rhino has an armor-like appearance that is created by the folds in its thick, gray skin. It has very little hair
except on its ears which swivel like radar antennas to help the animal pick up sounds. Rhinos have poor eyesight and
depend on their hearing and their acute sense of smell.

Their habitat is mainly riverine flood plains and grasslands, but occasionally they use nearby woodlands.
Longevity
Rhinos in zoos have survived for as long as 47 years. Those that live in the wild typically have a much shorter life
span.

Reproduction

Females choose secluded areas to give birth to a single calf that weighs around 140 pounds and is able to stand
within an hour of birth. The calves stay with their mothers for between two-and-a-half and three years, and during this
time, they learn what to eat, where to find food, and how to avoid danger. The young rhino is usually driven away
from its mother a week before the birth of her next calf.

Behavior
While young rhinos will travel with their mothers, adult rhinoceros are solitary animals. They are occasionally found in
small congregations where they find good grazing or water sources, but these groups never last and the animals
soon disperse.

When confronted by danger or startled, rhinos usually choose to flee. They can run up to 35 miles per hour and are
surprisingly agile for their size, executing hairpin turns and pivots. They will occasionally charge, especially a female
protecting her calf, and can be a dangerous adversary when provoked.

Although they typically have a familiar home range, rhinos are not territorial. A rhino will mark its presence by
defecating in regular locations, spraying urine, or scraping its feet through the dung piles to further spread its scent.
These scent “signposts” may alert other males to stay away or help them locate a mate. Since they are mainly
solitary, they use scent to find each other.