Indian rhinoceroses: description, habitat, photo. Indian rhinoceros: description of the animal with photographs and videos Lifestyle in the wild

home Indian rhinoceros - a representative of the rhinoceros family. Forms separate species

, which lives in Central Asia. The animal is very large in size, in this the Indian rhinoceros is second only to Indian elephant

. Preferred habitat is bushes and savannah. This animal lives in northeast India, northern Bangladesh, eastern Pakistan and southern Nepal. The Indian rhinoceros lives in nature reserves. The largest population lives in the Indian state of Assam. Its population is more than 1,500 individuals. In Nepal, about 600 individuals of this species live in the Chitwan Nature Reserve. The population of these animals in Pakistan numbers approximately 300 rhinoceroses. In total, there are about 2,500 rhinoceroses in Asia. The population size is at a stable level, even a small gradual increase is observed.

Appearance of a rhinoceros

Rhinoceroses are large and strong animals. At the withers they reach a height of 1.8 meters. The average male weighs 2.2 tons, but there are individuals weighing 2.5 and 2.8 tons. Males are larger than females. Average weight

females - about 1.6 tons. In general, there are no external differences between the sexes. They have one horn on the muzzle, the length of which reaches 20-60 cm. With a short length, it looks more like a bump on the nose of the animal. The feet have 3 toes. Their eyes are small in size, their expression gives the impression that the animal is sleepy all the time.

The color of the skin is gray-pink. The body of a rhinoceros is covered with large folds of skin. In appearance, it seems that the animal’s body is covered with a shell. The skin is covered with knobby bumps. There is no fur on the body. Rhinoceroses have a tail with a small tassel at the end. The animal is clumsy in appearance, however, it runs well, and its speed can reach up to 50 km/h. Unlike its African counterpart, the Indian rhinoceros swims well. This animal has excellent hearing and an excellent sense of smell, but its vision is weak.

Behavior and nutrition of the Indian rhinoceros The diet is based on reed shoots, elephant grass, aquatic plants, and young short grass. The keratinized sharp lip with a sharp edge helps to easily cut and eat plants. Rhinoceroses are active in the morning and. During the day the animal rests, preferring to be in puddles or pits with mud. At the same time, birds sit on his back and take ticks out of his skin. Indian rhinoceroses consider water bodies to be common, but they share land territory. Each animal has its own allotment, the boundaries of which the rhinoceros marks with feces. They drive guests away, and if they don’t leave, a fight can break out. Because of this, the bodies of males have scars.

Rhinoceroses are herd animals.

Rhino's enemies wildlife no, he is too strong, they even fear him. Main enemy– a man who has been killing these animals for centuries. The first reason for this is that the rhinoceros damaged the crops. Even now, when these animals live outside the fence of nature reserves, they can break through the fence and get into the fields, causing damage to farmers. Previously, wildlife and land coexisted peacefully.

The second reason for the extermination of Indian rhinoceroses is the rumor that the horn of this animal has magical and healing properties. Because of this, animals were shot in huge quantities, and their horns were sold on black markets at very high prices. In our century, the number of horns has decreased noticeably, and prices have risen significantly. In this regard, poachers are now even entering nature reserves, killing the animal and cutting off its horn. To protect the animals, the state adopted very harsh laws according to which reserve employees can shoot at anyone. strangers who entered the territory. Moreover, this is done without any investigation; finding out the identity of the stranger and the reasons for the penetration begins later. Such preventive measures allowed to stabilize the population size today.

Reproduction and lifespan

These animals can breed at any time of the year. Puberty in females occurs at the age of 4 years, in males - at 8 years. There is an explanation for this decision of nature: by the age of 8, the male becomes strong and powerful and can continue his race; at an earlier age, older and stronger individuals would not have allowed him to do this. And at this age, in fights between males, he defeats more mature representatives of the species.

It is not even bone and looks like a layered skin growth. If the horn breaks off, which happens quite rarely, blood flows out of the wound, and over time a new “decoration” grows. The horn, together with powerful hooves, is the main weapon of rhinoceroses.

The most amazing feature Indian rhinoceroses - their thick skin, which forms loose folds on the neck, in front of the sacrum and behind the shoulder blades, which creates the impression that the animals are clad in armor and gives them a very “knightly” appearance. This impression is further enhanced by the convex tubercles, similar to iron rivets, that cover the upper parts of the legs and sides, with no hair on the skin. It is not for nothing that Indian rhinos are also called armored rhinos. Only the ears and the tip of the tail are covered with stiff bristles. The head is massive, with small eyes, the upper lip is grasping. On the lower jaw there is a pair of fangs (pointed incisors), which animals use only in rare cases when they have to attack an enemy.

Indian rhinoceroses are herbivores. The basis of nutrition is aquatic plants, young shoots of reeds and elephant grass. They feed in the morning and evening.

Indian rhinoceroses are very fond of water, in which they spend a lot of time. They are excellent swimmers and can even swim across big rivers. These animals never go far from water. They swim all day long or simply lie in liquid mud, especially in fairly hot weather when they are overwhelmed by numerous insects in swampy places. Due to their passion for water, Indian rhinoceroses prefer to live in swampy savannas and bushes.

Pregnancy in female Indian rhinos is quite long (from 475 to 485 days). They give birth to only one calf weighing about 70 kg, Pink colour, with all the outgrowths and folds, but without a horn. Babies are fed milk for six to ten months. Therefore, a female can produce offspring once every three years.

Because of their enormous strength, armored rhinoceroses have no enemies other than humans. Huge and powerful elephants retreat before rhinoceroses; even a tiger does not dare to attack an adult rhinoceros. Not feeling danger, rhinoceroses do not run away when any animals or humans appear, but continue to graze. They rush only as a last resort to those who disturb their peace. Heavy and seemingly quite clumsy, they are quite fast and can move at speeds of up to 40 km/h, while jumping over large ditches.

Currently, Indian rhinoceroses are found only in India and Nepal. They live for about 70 years.

Superorder: Ungulata = Ungulates

Order: Perissodactyla Owen, 1848 = Odd-toed, odd-toed

Family: Rhinocerotidae Owen, 1845 = Rhinoceros

View: Indian rhinoceros= Rhinoceros unicornis Linnaeus, 1758

One-horned rhinoceroses (genus Rhinoceros) are represented by several species among the fossil remains of the Pleistocene ice age, when they were distributed in Eurasia from Europe to Taiwan and Japan and across the Asian mainland to Sumatra, Java and Ceylon. The genus now includes only two relict species: the Indian rhinoceros, R. unicornis, and the Javan rhinoceros, R. sondaicus. The Indian rhinoceros is the largest of the three currently existing species of Asian rhinoceros, it has a more massive body than the Javan rhinoceros, the height at the shoulders exceeds 180 centimeters, and the length is more than four meters.

The most amazing feature of the Indian rhinoceros is its thick skin, which forms loose folds on the neck, behind the shoulder blades and in front of the sacrum, which gives the impression that the animal is clad in armor. This impression is further enhanced by the very rivet-like convex tubercles covering the sides and upper parts of the legs, with an almost complete absence of hair on the skin. Only around the ears and at the tip of the tail does stiff stubble grow. The head is massive, with small eyes, the upper lip, like that of the African black rhinoceros, is grasping. On the lower jaw there are a pair of pointed incisors (fangs), which the animal successfully uses in those rare cases when it has to attack an enemy.

The massiveness of the rhinoceros and its terrifying appearance are misleading. In fact, this timid animal is rarely aggressive unless it is wounded and saving a cub.

The Indian rhinoceros never goes far from water. He spends his days bathing or lying in liquid mud. The main food is grass, young shoots and reeds. The rhinoceros feeds mainly in the morning and evening, and in the middle of the day it rests or takes mud baths, especially in hot weather, when it is overwhelmed by the countless insects in swampy areas.

The Indian rhinoceros's gestation period lasts from 474 to 486 days, and one calf is born. It is believed that the female feeds the baby with milk for six to ten months, therefore, she can produce offspring once every three years. If the baby suckles milk for two years, as some experts think, birth can occur only once every four years.

In the Middle Ages, the Indian rhinoceros was distributed in many areas northern India and Nepal, from Peshawar and Kashmir in the west and along the foothills of the Himalayas to the border with Burma. Southern border its former range is unclear, but since the animal is so closely associated with water, it could not have lived outside the Ganges basin. Information about its existence in South-East Asia It is doubtful that they could belong to two other species of Asian rhinoceros. Apparently, the Indian rhinoceros did not penetrate east beyond the borders of Assam and East Bengal (now Bangladesh).

Population growth and related sudden change natural conditions forced the rhinoceros out of most areas where it lived before. First of all, the fertile lowlands were developed, and rhinoceroses retreated to the foothills, but when the lands there gradually began to be cultivated, the animal disappeared everywhere, surviving only in the most remote and inaccessible places of its range. IN last years intensified hunting caused significant damage to the small herd of animals, whose numbers had already fallen too sharply due to habitat loss.

Less than a hundred years ago the species was still relatively numerous, as may be evidenced by the fact that in 1876 the Bengal government paid a bounty of 20 rupees to anyone who killed a rhinoceros on the grounds that they were causing damage to crops. In the Terai, the Nepalese built high bamboo platforms in the fields when harvest time approached, and used gongs and ringing bells to scare away rhinoceroses.

By 1910, the number of animals had decreased so much that hunting them was banned in Bengal and Assam, and several reserves were created in the upper Brahma Putra valley to protect the species and its habitats. However, the reserves themselves were not yet sufficient protection against poachers.

In India, there has always been significant demand for rhinoceros horn, but after the Javan rhinoceros was almost exterminated in Southeast Asia (previously it was widely sold in China), the market value of the horn increased greatly. The horn trade became more and more profitable, and poaching became widespread.

Now the Indian rhinoceros lives only in eight reserves in India and Nepal. Occasionally, information is received about individual individuals from other places, but it almost always turns out that this is an animal that wandered there from the reserve. However, small isolated groups could still survive in some places, for example in the border region of Ti-rup in Assam, from where information about the animal was received, not yet verified.

In 1966, the total population of the Indian rhinoceros was estimated at about 740 individuals, of which 575 were in India and the rest in Nepal. The largest and most important group is in the Kaziranga National Park (450 square kilometers) in Assam, where there are 400 animals. Unfortunately, livestock grazing is allowed in Kaziranga. Formally, a small area five kilometers long and two kilometers wide is allocated for this, but in fact no one monitors the grazing of livestock. Meanwhile, with limited feed resources national park this poses a serious threat to rhinoceroses and other wild animals. In addition, livestock can carry diseases. Cases of poaching are also common in Kaziranga.

Nepal has the most large group Indian rhinoceros, consisting of 165 in 1966, exists in the Chitauen reserve in the Rapti River valley. Since Chitauz-n has exclusively important for the fate of the species, and the recent history of this area represents an exceptional example of effective conservation, it is worth telling.

Before the overthrow of the Rana rulers in 1952, the Rapti River valley was a wild and sparsely populated area and was used as a hunting ground by the powerful Rana family. It was there that luxuriously furnished tiger hunts were held in honor of important guests from royal family. In the western part of this valley, in addition to many other wild animals, lived up to 800 Indian rhinoceroses.

After 1952, the landless population began to move into the valley; Many thousands of residents from mountainous areas moved there.

After a few years, settlers began to encroach on the forests, and the rhinoceros was driven out of its main habitats into the swampy jungle south of the river Rapti and the islands of the Narayani River.

In 1958, the IUCN received information that poachers operating for several years in the Rapti Valley had killed large numbers of rhinoceroses. In response, the Rare and Endangered Species Commission sent one of its members, E. P. Gee, to Nepal to investigate the situation and make suggestions for protecting the species.

Ji, who arrived in the valley in early 1959, found that the number of rhinoceroses had dropped to 300. By 1961, it had dropped further to about 165. Ji outlined the results of the survey and recommendations for improving the situation in the “Report on a Survey of the Rhinoceros Distribution Area in Nepal.” , March and April 1959", prepared for the Commission.

In 1963, after a strong protest was made to the Nepalese government by the Forest Department, an investigation team was appointed and a special commission was created to clarify the situation in the Rapti Valley.

By 1965, when the commission completed its work, 22,000 residents had been evicted from the forest zone, including 4,000 from the territory of the reserve itself. The entire area of ​​the reserve and proposed national park is now free of settlements, poachers are strictly monitored, and prospects for rhino conservation have improved immeasurably.

It is difficult to overestimate the importance of all measures aimed at preserving the Indian rhinoceros. The timely and proactive intervention of the Nepalese government can serve as an excellent example to other countries of what can be done with vigorous and decisive action to protect a species in distress.

(D. Fisher, N. Simon, D. Vincent “The Red Book”, M., 1976)

The Indian rhinoceros, sometimes called the armored rhinoceros or one-horned rhinoceros, is the largest of the Asian rhinoceroses.

In size it is second only to the elephant.

Appearance

The Indian rhinoceros is a huge and powerful animal, the weight of which can exceed two and a half tons, and the height at the shoulders of large males can be up to two meters.

Males are larger than females. The average weight of a female is about 1.6 tons. Generally external differences there is no difference between the sexes.

The thick grey-brown skin of the animal looks more like the armor of a medieval knight, in large pieces overlapping each other.

On the shoulders there is a deep fold, curved back.

There is no fur on the body. Rhinoceroses have a tail with a small tassel at the end.

The “pig” little eyes are usually slightly closed, giving the rhinoceros a sleepy appearance.

The large upper guda is curved downwards, allowing the rhinoceros to more firmly grasp the branches of the bush on which it feeds.

The Indian rhinoceros has one horn, which can reach sixty centimeters, although usually this horn is no more than 25 centimeters, and in females it sometimes barely protrudes, more like a bump on the nose.

The feet, like the rest of the family, have three toes.

The lower jaw contains powerful incisors, often used for defense against predators.

In the wild, the Indian rhinoceros has practically no enemies, one of the most powerful Asian predators a tiger in a fight with a rhinoceros has very little chance of winning; rhinoceroses are large and powerful, and their thick skin cannot be bitten.

Even an elephant, which is larger than a rhinoceros, tries not to mess with the “Indian knight in armor.”

Although rhinoceroses seem to be clumsy hulks, this is a deceptive impression - rhinoceroses are mobile and have excellent reactions and a good sense of smell and hearing.

The only thing weakness rhinoceroses – poor vision.

Therefore, the rhinoceros senses the approach of predators (or humans) and tries to run away.

By the way, rhinoceroses run very fast - they can reach speeds of up to 40 km/h. True, not for long.

Lifestyle

The Indian rhinoceros is a herbivore, feeding mainly on grass, reeds or aquatic plants, capturing food with its curled, keratinized upper lip.

Rhinoceroses spend hot times in the shade of trees or in water, and in the morning and evening, when it is cooler, they go out to graze.

As the water plays great importance In the life of an animal, rhinoceroses prefer to settle closer to water bodies or in swampy areas, where they feed.

Like African rhinos, Indian rhinos are also constantly accompanied by a “retinue” of birds - herons, Indian mynah starlings, bee-eaters, which either catch insects scared by the giant, or peck ticks while sitting on the back of a large animal.

Indian rhinoceroses mostly live alone, having their own personal “allotment” within a few kilometers, which they constantly mark with large piles of dung.

At the same time, rhinoceroses can have both “public” places, such as small lakes or large puddles of mud, and private “possessions”, which the rhinoceros zealously protects from relatives.

The Indian rhinoceros is a good swimmer; for example, in Kaziranga there are cases where a rhinoceros swam across the very wide Brahmaputra.

In case of danger, rhinoceroses scream, and their screams are more like snoring and grunting.

But rhinoceroses that are wounded, caught, or generally find themselves in a difficult situation roar loudly, and during the rut, a special whistling sound can be heard that the female makes.

Reproduction

If you translate the name of the Indian rhinoceros from Latin, it will sound like “one-horned rhinoceros.” Sometimes representatives of this species are also called armored rhinoceroses. In Asia you can find only one species that will surpass the Indian rhinoceros in size. This is an elephant. This species is the largest in comparison with other species of rhinoceroses living in Asia.

Appearance

Indian rhinoceroses are very large animals. Sometimes their weight can reach 2500 kg. Males can have a height of up to 2 m. Females have slightly smaller dimensions. The horn of representatives of this species can reach a length of approximately 25 cm. But in some individuals it can be up to 60 cm. But such a horn can only be seen in males. In females it is very small and looks more like a bump.

These animals have no hair. They have pinkish-gray skin. Its surface is divided into areas by folds. Therefore, it looks like a shell. That is why one of the names of the species is “armored rhinoceros”. It is quite difficult to determine what color the surface of an animal's skin is. Vedas, they very often like to roll in the mud, after which it remains on them in a whole layer.

There are small tassels on the ears and also on the tail of the animal. They have 3 toes on their paws. There is a deep fold on the shoulders of the rhinoceros. Their eyes are small in size. The upper lip is curved towards the bottom. And on the lower jaw there are very powerful incisors, which often serve as weapons for the rhinoceros.

These animals are very strong and large. But they look like clumsy heavyweight wrestlers. This external impression is deceiving. In fact, rhinoceroses are distinguished by quick reactions and are quite mobile. If danger approaches, the Indian rhinoceros can accelerate to speeds of 40 km/h. They have excellent hearing and a keen sense of smell. Thanks to this, already at a distance of several hundred meters, the rhinoceros will understand that there is a predatory animal or person there. But their vision is quite weak.

Nutrition

These are herbivorous mammals. They feed on algae, reeds, and elephant grass. To pick food for itself, the rhinoceros uses upper lip having a keratinized surface. Animals go out in search of food in the evening or in the morning, when it is no longer so hot. During the daytime, they are found in various bodies of water, which contain a lot of dirt. This is where they often look for food. Therefore, these animals live only in swampy areas.

Where does it live?

A few centuries ago, representatives of this species could be found almost everywhere in southern Asia and China. They also lived in the eastern part of Iran. But the number and habitat have been significantly influenced by human activity. They were hunted a lot, their usual habitat was destroyed. In almost all of these regions, rhino numbers have declined significantly. After colonization by Europe, Indian rhinoceroses remained only in nature reserves. The number was also affected a large number of hunters who used firearms. In addition, the jungle area was constantly decreasing as a result of the intensive population growth of Asia.

Today, representatives of this species live in the southern part of Pakistan. They can also be seen in eastern India and Nepal. A number of animals live in northern Bangladesh. The territories where rhinoceroses live are very strictly protected today. There are not many individuals left in the world. The largest population is in the state of Assam. This is Indian territory. The animals live in a national park called Kaziranga. About 1,600 animals live here. This is approximately 2/3 of all representatives of the species in the world. About 600 individuals live in Nepal in Chitwan Park. About 300 rhinoceroses can also be seen in one of the parks of Pakistan. Today, researchers claim that there are about 2.5 thousand Indian rhinoceroses living in the world. Their numbers are growing.

This species is listed as vulnerable in the Red Book. But Sumatran as well Javanese species are in a more dire situation.

The closest species is considered to be the Javan rhinoceros, which also belongs to the Indian genus. Their body reaches approximately 3 m in length, they grow up to 1.6 m in height. They have 1 horn, which grows up to 20 cm. This species is very rare. In total there are about 60 representatives. It is not possible to keep them in captivity.

Sex differences

The horn of females is much less pronounced; they are not as large as males.

Behavior

These animals prefer solitude. Each representative chooses a territory of about 4 thousand square meters. m. Elephant grass will definitely grow in this area, there will be a puddle of mud, as well as a larger lake or the coast of a larger body of water. Males, as a rule, mark their possessions with the help of dung.

You can see many paths in the thickets themselves, where a lot of elephant grass grows. They are trampled by rhinoceroses. Among them there are common ones along which animals make their way to puddles. But there are also personal paths that the rhinoceros protects from others.

Although these animals have enormous weight, they swim beautifully. They can swim across a wide river or lake.

They do not make loud, shrill sounds. If you disturb an Indian rhinoceros, you can hear a sound similar to snoring. The female signals her offspring with a grunt. And when does it go mating season, its sound is similar to a whistle. Rhinoceroses can also grunt while searching for food. But if one of them is injured or feels particularly threatened, they let out a loud roar.

Rhinos are usually very aggressive. If an individual is irritated, it can rush at an elephant. They can attack even without apparent reason, so you should not approach these animals.

When the Indian rhinoceros attacks, it does not use its horn, but its powerful incisors. In this way they inflict very deep wounds.

Reproduction

Females of this species become sexually mature already at 3-4 years, males later - at 7-9. Every 1.5 months they have a rut. At the same time, the female begins to pursue the chosen one. The gestation period lasts about 16 months. One small rhinoceros is born, which can weigh about 65 kg. It has pink skin, has characteristic folds, but does not yet have a horn.

In captivity, animals live up to 70 years, but in the wild they usually live less.

Enemies in nature

Predatory animals do not attack them. Sometimes tigers attack, but only on babies, since the tiger is not able to defeat this animal in battle. They are not even afraid of elephants, fearlessly rushing at them. The elephant usually leaves.

1. Birds usually live next to rhinoceroses. These include herons, bee-eaters, and starlings. They hunt insects that the rhinoceros makes fly. Birds also feed on insects that live on the skin of the animal.
2. This species was the first of all rhinoceros species to be seen by people from Europe. For the first time among them, this animal was depicted by Dürer. It was an engraving called "Rhinoceros". The artist created this work without seeing the animal. The rhino looked a little wrong here. And in 1513 the animal was taken to Lisbon. It was a gift from the Rajah to the King of Portugal. Then it was Manuel I. The animal was put on display as a curiosity to the people, after which it was sent to the Pope. It was supposed to be a gift, but it never made it to its destination. The ship sank as a result of a storm.
3. Indian feudal lords had fun hunting rhinoceroses. This can be judged from the miniatures that have remained since the 16th century. In them, representatives of the Mughal dynasty hunt these animals while riding elephants.
4. Rhino hunting has caused the most damage to this species. There were legends that the animal's horn had great power. Residents of Asia were sure that this was a very good aphrodisiac, as well as a real salvation against poison. Even today, the horn of this animal is very expensive on the black market. It is usually sold by poor Asians who want to get rich this way. But in India there are many laws that strictly protect these animals from poachers.

Video: Indian rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis)