Black Rhinoceros Facts & Worksheets

The black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis), also known as the hook-lipped rhinoceros, is the smaller of the two African rhino species. Effective conservation projects have seen black rhino numbers inch upward in the last few years; however, they still remain critically endangered, with poaching for their horns causing a grave threat to their survival.

See the fact file below for more information on Black Rhinoceros or alternatively, you can download our 27-page Black Rhinoceros worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

TAXONOMY

• The species was initially named Rhinoceros bicornis by Carl Linnaeus in his 10th edition of Systema naturae in 1758; he referred to it as a “double-horned rhinoceros”. 
• The most accepted number of intraspecific variations of the black rhinoceros considers seven or eight subspecies, of which three reached extinction in ancient times and one is about to become extinct. 
• Southern black rhinoceros or Cape black rhinoceros (D. b. bicornis): this is an extinct subspecies that was once abundant in the Cape of Good Hope to Transvaal, South Africa and was labeled as the largest of all the subspecies.
• Northeastern black rhinoceros (D. b. brucii): this is an extinct subspecies that used to wander in central Sudan, Eritrea, northern and southern Ethiopia, Djibouti, and northern and southeastern Somalia. 

DESCRIPTION

• An adult black rhinoceros reaches 55 to 71 inches in height at the shoulder and typically weighs 1760 to 3090 pounds. Males are relatively larger than females.
• Two horns on the skull are composed of keratin, with the larger front horn being 20 inches long, and in exceptional cases up to 55 inches.
• The longest known black rhino horn reached nearly 4.9 feet in length. There are also instances when a third, smaller horn may develop. Horns are used for defense, intimidation, and delving into roots and breaking branches during feeding. 
• Black rhinos are smaller than their white cousins. Although referred to as black, their colors range from brown to grey. They also have a pointed and prehensile upper lip, which they use to grasp leaves and twigs when eating. 
• Unlike the white rhinoceros, they have smaller skulls and ears, and their heads are usually held higher. Black rhinos also have a hooked lip, an adaptation to help browsing instead of grazing.
• Their thick-layered skin protects them from thorns, sharp grasses, and external parasites, such as mites and ticks.

DISTRIBUTION

• The natural range of the black rhino includes the majority of southern and eastern Africa; however, it does not wander in the Congo Basin, the tropical rainforest areas along the Bight of Benin, the Ethiopian Highlands, and the Horn of Africa. 
• Currently, it can only be found in protected nature reserves and has vanished from most countries it once inhabited, particularly in the west and north of its former range.
• It has been successfully reintroduced to Malawi, Zambia, and Botswana after reaching extinction in the late 1900s.

BEHAVIOR

• Black rhinoceroses are generally solitary, with the only strong bond between a mother and her baby. Adults form a consort relationship during mating season, and subadults and young adults sometimes establish loose associations with older species of either sex. They are not very territorial and frequently intersect other rhino turfs. 
• Seasons and the availability of food and water affect their home range. They usually have smaller home ranges and lcaptarger density in habitats that have an abundant supply of food and water. 
• Males in captivity and reservations have been recently observed to have longer sleep patterns than females. 
• Black rhinos follow similar trails that elephants use to get from foraging areas to water holes.
• They also make use of smaller paths when they are browsing.
• Due to their solitary nature, scent marking is utilized to distinguish themselves from other black rhinos. Urine spraying also takes place on trees and bushes, around water holes, and feeding areas. 
• They have powerful tube-shaped ears that can freely rotate 360 degrees, allowing them to detect sounds over long distances.

DIET AND HABITAT

• Black rhinos are herbivorous browsers whose diet consists of leafy plants, branches, shoots, thorny wood bushes, and fruit. They seem to be most attracted to woody plants during the wet season and leafy species of plants in the dry season.
• They can survive up to 5 days without drinking during drought.
• They can be found in different habitats such as bushlands, Riverine woodlands, marshes, and their least favorable, grasslands. Their habitat preferences depend on the amount of sign found in the different habitats and the habitat content of home ranges and core areas. 

REPRODUCTION

• Mating is not seasonal but births tend to be towards the end of the rainy season in more arid ecosystems. 
• During mating season, females will mark dung piles and males will scrape and spread the dung, making it harder for their rival adult males to find her scent trail.
• Courtship is observed to happen before mating, and it includes snorting and sparring with the horns among males. Another courtship behavior is known as bluff and bluster, where the rhino will snort and aggressively swing its head from both sides prior to running away repeatedly. Breeding pairs remain together for two to three days and sometimes even weeks. They mate a couple of times daily and copulation lasts for 30 minutes.
• The gestation period lasts 15 months. Each calf weighs 80 to 110 pounds at birth, and can follow its mother after 72 hours.

THREATS

• Currently, there are different threats posed to the black rhinoceros including habitat changes, illegal poaching, and competing species. Civil disturbances, such as war, have also had a negative impact on their numbers since the 1960s in countries such as Chad, Cameroon, Rwanda, Mozambique, and Somalia.
• They also face problems related to the minerals they digest. They have adapted to ingesting less iron in the wild caused by their evolutionary progression, which poses a threat when placed in captivity. These rhinos can overload on iron, leading to build up in the lungs, liver, spleen, and small intestine.

Black Rhinoceros Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle that includes everything you need to know about Black Rhinoceros across 27 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use worksheets that are perfect for teaching about Black Rhinoceros which are also known as the hook-lipped rhinoceros, is the smaller of the two African rhino species.

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Complete List Of Included Worksheets

• Black Rhinoceros Facts
• Creature Feature
• Rhino Anatomy
• Complete the Puzzle
• Other Rhinos
• Black and White
• Life Stages
• Rhino Recap
• Answer a Rhino
• Rhino Alphabet
• Means of Survival

Frequently Asked Questions

Are black rhinoceros aggressive?

Yes, black rhinoceros are considered aggressive compared to white rhinoceros. They have poor eyesight, which makes them nervous, and are territorial.

How many black rhinoceros are left?

It is estimated that there are around 5,000 in the wild. Although this number is growing because of conservation efforts.

What do black rhinoceros eat?

Black rhinoceros are herbivores that browse. This means they eat leaves and branches of bushes.

Where can black rhinoceros be found?

Black rhinoceros are endemic to southern Africa. 98% of the black rhinoceros population can be found in just four countries: South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Kenya.

Why are black rhinoceros endangered?

Black rhinoceros are endangered primarily because of poaching for their horns, which are used in traditional Chinese medicine and as status and wealth symbols in some Middle Eastern cultures. Habitat destruction also plays a role.

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