What is White rhinoceros?
The white rhinoceros, Ceratotherium simum, is a large African grazer with a broad mouth. Its name does not mean it has white skin; its horns are keratin.
Traits and way of life
1. Species and identifying features Ceratotherium simum has a broad grazing lip and keratin horns. Northern and southern populations have very different conservation situations. 2. Habitat and diet It grazes in grasslands and savannas. Water and mud help thermoregulation; grass quality and rainfall affect survival.
Behavior and conservation
3. Behavior and reproduction Females usually bear one calf and care for it for a long period. Groups can form; slow reproduction makes adult losses consequential. 4. Ecology and conservation Grazing shapes habitats. Horn poaching is a major threat, without proven medicinal benefit. Protection depends on security, habitat and communities.