The word “rhinoceros” comes from the Greek words for “nose horn.”  A rhino’s horn is made of keratin fibers— densely packed hair that is not closely attached to the skull. 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 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.

There are only approximately 2,500 Asian rhinoceros remaining in the wild. They live mostly in protected parks and they face danger from poachers when they wander outside of the park boundaries. Their habitat is mainly river flood plains and grasslands, but occasionally they use nearby woodlands. Asian rhinos are the most aquatic of all rhino species and are rarely found far from water. They will often spend large parts of the day partially submerged while grazing on water plants.

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 in captivity are fully grown by age four and are sexually mature at around five years old. Males typically reach breeding age by seven, but in the wild, they don’t usually mate until they reach ten years of age. This is due to the fact that they need to be large and strong enough to defeat other males in competition for females.

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.