Habitat: African Savanna
Status: Critically Endangered
DAK Locale: Kilimanjaro Safari
So why are they called black rhinos? Well, white rhinos are called "white" due to a corruption of the word "wide," which describes its lip. Then to avoid confusion, they just called this species of rhino, black. The animals are similar in color. The white species, however, is about twice the size of the back kind.
Another difference between the two species of African rhino is, as noted, the lip. The wide lower top lip of the white species is replaced with a nimble hooked lip. This allows it pull up specific types of plants. Its known to eat over 200 species of vegetation. Typically, they feed in the early morning and late afternoon or early evening. The plants provide most of the moisture the animal needs, so it can go without drinking for days if it eats right.
Rhinos are notorious for having bad vision. Just looking at the animal you will notice how small its eyes are. This means the animal is quick to agitate even though it has excellent hearing and sense of smell. The black rhino is obviously fast, reaching speeds over 30 mph which makes it a dangerous animal in the savanna.
The black rhino is quite versatile, being found in many kinds of habitats including grasslands, semi-arid plains, dense brush and woodlands. However, it does prefer areas with a lot of cover to hide and eat. Historically, it was found throughout the lower half of the African continent. However, intense hunting pressures have splintered the population. In fact, it is thought that one subspecies. the western black rhino, is likely extinct. Unfortunately, the animal repopulates slowly giving birth only every two to five years. The total population is around 3,700 animals and as demand for the ivory of its horns continues to grow, the danger to all rhinos increases.
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