SUMATRAN RHINOCEROUS

indianrhino

SUMATRAN RHINOCEROUS

Sumatran rhinos once widespread throughout mainland Southeast Asia from North Burma to the Malay Peninsular, the islands of Borneo and Sumatra, now known to exist only in Malaya, Borneo and Sumatra. The word rhinoceros means 'nose-horn', which is appropriate as rhinos are the only mammals with horns on their noses. All other horned mammals have horns on their heads. There are five species living today: the black and white rhinos of Africa and the Sumatran rhino (two horned), and the Indian and the Javan which (one horned).
Despite the name, the horns are not made of horn, nor do they have a bone in the middle but consists solely of thousands of tightly packed , incredibly strong modified hair known as keratin.

ORDER: Perissodactlya (odd-toed hoofed mammals)

FAMILY: Rhinocerotidae< br>
SUBFAMILY: Dicerorhinae (two-horned rhinos)

GENUS: Dicerorhinus (from the Greek di, meaning "two"; cero, meaning "horn" and rhinus, meaning "nose")

SPECIES: sumatrensis (referring to Sumatra with the Latin -ensis, meaning locality)

MALAYSIAN NAME: Badak Berendam

COMMON NAMES: Sumatran rhinoceros Asian two-horned rhinoceros, only 2 horned Asian rhino. Hairy rhinoceros: refers to the long, shaggy hair found on the species in contrast to the other, hairless species.

SIZE: 1.2 to 1.3 meters (5ft.) tall and 2.5 to 2.8 meters (8-9ft.) long

WEIGHT: 1,600-2,000 pounds (900 kgs)

GESTATION: 17 months. One young is born

COLORATION: The skin is slate grey covered with short greyish-black hairs. Younger animals have a reddish-brown coat. The hairs grow 2.5 cm (1in.) per year. It has fringed ears and two horns .

FEATURES: The Sumatran, a.k.a. the hairy, rhino (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis) is probably the most endangered of all rhinoceros species. Numbers have declined by 50% due to poaching over the last 10 years. Fewer than 400 Sumatran rhino survive in very small and highly fragmented populations in Southeast Asia with Indonesia and Malaysia being the only significant range states. Furthermore, there is no indication that the situation is showing any signs of stabilizing.
The Sumatran rhinoceros is the smallest of the five existing species of rhinoceros. It is more hairy than any of the others and has two horns on its snout - though these are shorter and rounder than those of the white rhino. Females have smaller horns compared to the males.
Rhinos are ungulates (animals with hooves), with short, stout legs, thick skin and tufted ears which are pointed and can move independantly
The skin texture is granular and has a sparse but even coat of short stiff hairs. The tail is equipped with a row of thick, black wiry hairs which grow in a line along the underside and the top of the tip.

BEHAVIOUR: The fearsome appearence of the rhino masks a gentle, largely passive creature. Despite the occasional show of aggression, they live life at a leisurely pace. Most of their day is spent eating, sleeping and - their favourite occupation - wallowing in mud !!
They are very agile and can run upto 50 kilometres (30 miles) per hour. When distured unexpectedly they flee rapidly giving a series of short hoarse barks.
Rhinos are shy, solitary animals and live alone or in small temporary groups of about seven animals. The rhino mothers are fiercely protective of their offspring and their relationship with the young calves is among the strongest in the animal world. Solitary with the exception of females with claves; males solitary but visit female territories to mate. Feeds on fruit, leaves, twigs and bark. Both male and females sexually mature at 7 to 8 years of age. Gestation period approximately 17 months; interbirth interval of 1 calf every 3 to 4 years. Life span is approximately 32 years
They prefer to wallow their days in pools of water and mud to escape the effects of the sun and remain submerged for hours. When they finally emerge they are covered with a coat of mud which act as a barrier against the bites of insects and parasites. Soon afterwards they rub themselves against trees and rocks.
The Asian species are excellent swimmers, able to cross the widest rivers.

DIET : Though predominantly browsers , the rhinos live on a diet of grass, mature leaves, barks and twigs from a wide range of woody plants and young saplings. This diet is often supplemented with fruits and shrubs. The Sumatran and the Javan rhinos are rainforest dwellers with a larger intake of fruits, more than the other species. Favourites include figs and mangoes, although they also eat lichen and fungi.

HABITAT: The Sumatran rhinos being timid and secretive in nature, inhabit the steep slopes of mountainous jungle terrain wherever they have access to enough vegetation and water to maintain their bulk. Records in Sabah, East Malaysia indicate that these animals are usually within a 14 km radius of a mineral source.

TRACKS, DUNG & OTHER CHARACTERISTICS: Rhino tracks (spoor) are important as the presence of these animals are usually indicated by their footprints : adults on firm soil 18.5 - 23.5 cm across at widest point, showing 3 clear toe marks. In mud wallows, they have a clear, deep horn marks in the sides of the wallow, distinguishing it from other large mammals.
Rhino's dung consists of coarsely chopped woody material about 9 cm in diameter, usually found in small piles, sometimes in mounds frequently used over long periods. The chinese especially regard the dung as highly medicinal. They spray bushes and tree trunks with their strong-smelling urine to mark their territory.

There are less than 500 rhinos alive and their numbers are still diminishing. They are threatened with severe habitat destruction and are also threatened with extinction largely due to the superstitious belief that the substance of their horns and other parts are of medicinal value especially in promoting virility. There is no foundation for this belief; the horns of the rhinos have the same constitution as hair, and scrapings from one have the same therapeutic value, or lack of it, as chopped up horsrhair !
It is a pity that men destroy and kill anything for their own benefit !

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