White rhinoceros — one of the largest overland mammals. The sizes he concedes only to the Savanna elephant. The white rhinoceros is obliged by the name not to color, but difficulties of the translation at all.
External featuresWhite rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum) — the second largest overland animal. The average mass of an adult individual is 2 — 2.5 tons, old males up to 5 tons meet. In withers the rhinoceros reaches 2 meters, body length — about 4 meters.
It is considered that the name "White Rhinoceros" came from Boer wijde that wide means. At loan the British distorted a word to white in consonance – white. Later the name dispersed on other languages. Though actually the rhinoceros has dark gray coloring.
The white rhinoceros is very similar in structure to the fellow — a black rhinoceros. It also has two horns, and front is developed stronger. Its record recorded length was 158 centimeters.
Opening of a white rhinoceros is dated 1857 and attributed to the English naturalist William Byorchell.
The basic, than the white rhinoceros differs from black — the structure of an upper lip. Wide and flat, with the pointed bottom edge, it is intended for cutting of a grass which makes the main diet of a white rhinoceros. The upper lip of a black rhinoceros is pointed that simplifies to him a bush oblamyvaniye.
HabitatRhinoceroses live groups numbering about ten individuals which consist of a male and several females with cubs. Often groups are adjoined by old males. At a moderate temperature the rhinoceroses are grazed for all day, in hot weather or in a bad weather prefer to remain under protection of trees. The area of dwelling of a white rhinoceros represents two isolated areas on the African continent: northern - in the territory of Congo and South Sudan, southern covers the Republic of South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. At the moment northern population of a white rhinoceros is exterminated completely. From the moment of opening of a look its number was promptly reduced, and in 2008 the media declared that there is no representative of northern subspecies left in the wild nature.
In 1892, 35 years later from the moment of opening, the white rhinoceros was considered as the died-out look. However in the Republic of South Africa it was succeeded to find survivors of individuals in the remote area. In 1897 the look was taken under protection that ensured its safety.
In the Southern area, despite systematic destruction by poachers, it was succeeded to keep about 11 thousand individuals of a white rhinoceros. The animal is included in the International Red List. Thanks to efforts of the International union of conservation, it was succeeded to avoid its total disappearance. Today the white rhinoceros is registered in category of low risk.