- How many species:
- There were 4 subspecies, now there are 3:
- South-central (Diceros bicornis minor) most common, live in southern Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, northern and eastern South Africa;
- South-western (Diceros bicornis bicornis) from the savannas of Namibia, Angola, Botswana and western South Africa;
- East African (Diceros bicornis michaeli), mainly in Tanzania; and
- West African (Diceros bicornis longipes) declared extinct in 2011.
- Numbers:
- Near the end of the 20th century, numbers were severely reduced from an estimated 70 000 in the late 1960s to only 2 410 in 1995.
- Size:
- Adults stand at 1.50 to 1.75 m high at the shoulder and are 3.5 to 3.9 m in length.
- An adult can weigh between 850 and 1 600 kg, sometimes even up to 1 800 kg.
- Females are smaller than the males.
- Age:
- Black rhino can live up to between 40 and 50 years in the wild
- Horns:
- Two horns on the skull are made of keratin
- Larger front horn typically 50 cm long, sometimes even up to 140 cm.
- A third smaller horn can sometimes develop.
- Other features:
- The black rhino is much smaller than the white rhino
- Has a hooked lip
- Eats leaves and twigs
- Bet you didn’t know this:
- Black rhino are active both day and night, but are least active during the hottest parts of the day where they seek shade.
- Pregnancy lasts about 15 months and they only have 1 calf.
- Young rhinos can walk 10 minutes after they are born. However, the mother will keep it hidden for a couple of weeks in fear that it may get trampled.
- Black rhino calves walk behind their mothers.
