Indian rhinoceroses: description, habitat, photo

Everyone knows that an elephant is the largest creature on earth. Who, then, was given the second place in the list of giant animals? He is rightly occupied by an Indian rhinoceros, which among his congeners is an unsurpassed leader in size. This resident of Asia is called a horny or armored rhino.

The one-horned heavyweight strikes with its huge size and power. When you look at it, it seems that you see a native of the ancient world. With the appearance of a clumsy, clumsy and sluggish giant in the armor, if necessary, can develop a speed of up to 40 km / h. He has a great reaction and in moments of danger he can move very quickly. Amazing creation of an Indian rhinoceros! Where does such a miracle of nature dwell , how does it feed, how it multiplies? You will find answers to these questions in this article.

How does an Indian rhinoceros look like?

The armored Indian rhinoceros, the photo of which you can see in the article, as already mentioned, is a huge beast. The weight of adults can reach 2.5 tons and even more. In height, males grow to two meters in the shoulders. The females are smaller in size and weight. Their skin is a fold, located on large areas of the body and are, by the way, a characteristic feature of this species. From a distance they look as if they are wearing armor, hence the name of these animals.

The skin of a rhinoceros is naked, gray-pink in color, although it is almost impossible to discern this color. The thing is that Indian rhinoceroses simply love to "swim" in puddles. From such baths the animal's body is covered with a layer of mud.

Cutaneous thick plates bear cones. And on his shoulders a deep fold is visible, curved backwards. On the ears and tail are seen minor brushes of hard hair.

Vision in rhinoceroses is very weak and their eyes are small. They usually look with a sleepy look with an offended expression. And the horn, of course, serves as the main decoration of the animal. It can reach a length of 50-60 cm, but in most representatives of this species does not exceed 25-30 cm. In females, such an ornament is more like a pointed cone on the nose.

For protection from enemies, the horn is not the only weapon of rhinos. Their lower jaw is armed with powerful cutters, with which the animal can inflict terrible wounds on the enemy.

Where to find the Indian rhinoceros

European colonization of Asia led to the appearance in this area of white hunters with guns. Indian rhinoceroses proved to be a tasty hunting trophy. Uncontrolled shooting of these animals caused the almost complete disappearance of powerful handsome men from places of free living. You can see them now only in reserves. Also, a small amount of these animals is found in hard-to-reach places.

The historical habitat of armored rhinos is very large. But in the modern world these giants live only in southern Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and East India. In all these territories these animals live in reserves, where they are strictly protected. In the wild without supervision, one-horned giants are found in the Pakistani province of Punjab, in remote wild places of Bangladesh and the surrounding areas of India.

Lifestyle in the wild

Indian rhinos lead a solitary lifestyle. They are not exactly corporate and friendly. You can see in one place side by side two rhinos only when they are bathing in the water, taking baths. But it is worth these giants to go ashore, as a friendly mood evaporates, and in its place comes aggression and dislike. Often after a bath time, animals arrange fights among themselves, while receiving serious wounds and scars for life.

Each rhinoceros zealously protects its territory (about 4000 m²), which marks huge heaps of manure. On the site of the animal is necessarily a small lake or at least a puddle. Ideal when the beast owns a part of the shore of a large pond. It is interesting that such a large animal can swim well and is able to swim even very wide rivers.

Indian rhinoceros "speak" is not expressive at all, but these giants have their own rules of communication. If the animal is disturbed by something, it emits a loud snore. When the animals peacefully graze, they from time to time grunt with pleasure. The same sounds are heard from the mother, who beckons her cubs. During the mating season, the female can be heard and recognized by special whistling sounds. If the rhino falls into a desperate situation, is wounded or caught, then it loudly roars.

What do rhinos eat?

The one-horned rhinoceros is a herbivore. In the pasture, representatives of this species prefer to go out in the morning and in the evening, when the heat does not so bother. During the sun they take mud baths, bathe in lakes or water. Often the meal and water procedures coincide, the animals feed directly in the water, without which they simply can not exist.

The menu of the Indian rhinoceros consists of an elephant grass and young shoots of reeds. Animals get such food with the help of the upper, chapped lips. Aquatic plants are also included in the diet of these giants.

Reproduction

For the first time the rhino female participates in mating games at the age of three. It is she who pursues the male during the rut. It happens in rhinoceroses every six months. The male is ready for reproduction only from 7-8 years.

Pregnancy of the female lasts 16.5 months. The calf is born only one, but rather large, its weight ranges from 60 to 65 kg. He looks more like a pig than a rhinoceros - the same rosy and even with the same face. Only here all the characteristic outgrowths and folds, except the horn, give out in the baby belonging to the kingdom of rhinoceroses.

Population

In conditions of captivity, Indian rhinoceroses can survive to 70 years, in the wild such long-livers do not occur. Compared with Javanese and Sumatran, the armored rhinoceros are considered to be quite a prosperous species, its representatives number about 2500 individuals.

Moreover, their number is steadily increasing. But still, despite the apparent well-being, the Indian rhinoceros (the red book confirms this) is considered a vulnerable species and is subject to protection.