Endangered Species: The Black Rhinoceros

Appearance - The skin of the black rhinoceros is actually gray not black. Its dark appearance comes from mud dried on the skin of the rhinoceros. A distinctive feature of the black rhinoceros in comparison to other species of rhinoceros is its prehensile upper lip. The prehensile lip is a pointed hooked lip that helps the rhinoceros grab onto twigs and shoots and pull them into its mouth, giving the black rhinoceros the nickname hook-lipped rhinoceros. The black rhinoceros has two horns with the larger in the front and measuring up to 4 1/2 feet although the average is closer to almost 3 feet long. This huge animal weighs up to 3,900 pounds, stands over 4 1/2 feet at the shoulder and measures up to 14 feet long.

Behavior - The black rhinoceros lives in small areas in eastern and southern Africa. It inhabits mainly wooded savanna but does also occupy a variety of other habitats. Black rhinoceros are completely herbivorous eating from bushes and low trees. It eats mostly at night and during twilight, spending the daylight hours sleeping in the shade or wallowing in the mud.

A solitary creature, the black rhinoceros marks its territory with droppings and urine. It is an unpredictable animal and although it may tolerate intruders of its species it could just as likely suddenly charge or jab with its horns. The only times two black rhinoceros usually will be seen together is either a mating pair who stay together only for a few days or a mother rhinoceros and her baby calf. The gestation period of the black rhinoceros lasts for 15 months after which she gives birth to a single young weighing around 88 pounds. A black rhinoceros calf can begin to eat solid food at a mere two weeks old but will not be fully weaned until around two years old.