The Indian rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) is the biggest of the three rhinos in Asia, and, along with the African white rhino, is the biggest of all rhino species. Its single black horn identifies it, along with its gray-brown hide and skin folds, giving it an armor-plated look. This species is a conservation success, as its numbers have increased significantly since 1975. At that time there were just 600 rhinos remaining in the wild. Following decades of successful efforts, numbers increased to 3,500 in Nepal and India by mid-2015. Now it is the most numerous of the three rhino species in Asia.
The Indian rhinoceros is a largely solitary animal, and they only associate in the breeding season and when rearing calves. They are grazers, and their diet is mainly grass, but may also include twigs, leaves, branches, shrubs, flowers, fruits, and aquatic plants. Females give birth to a single calf after a gestation of 15.7 months; the birth interval is 34 to 51 months. Captive individuals can live up to 47 years. They are susceptible to diseases such as anthrax, and those caused by parasites such as leeches, ticks, and nematodes.
Rhinoceros unicornis
Rhinoceros
40-50 YEARS
The Indian rhino is generally solitary, except when females are with their young. Loosely connected groups of a few individuals occur, especially in foraging areas or wallowing grounds. They feed mostly in the cool of the early morning, during the late afternoon, or at night. During the day, they spend a lot of time in the water or wallowing in the mud in order to keep cool. Males have loosely defined territories that they do not defend well, and often such territories overlap.
Rhinocerotidae
1.6-2.2T
Indian rhinos once ranged across the entire northern part of the Indian subcontinent, along the Indus, Ganges and Brahmaputra River basins, from Pakistan to the Indian-Myanmar border, including Bangladesh and the southern parts of Nepal and Bhutan.
Indian Rhinoceros are herbivores(graminivores, folivores, frugivores, lignivores). They eat grass, leaves, fruit, branches, aquatic plants, as well as cultivated crops. They prefer tall reedy grasses to short species. They drink daily and are fond of mineral licks