Rhinoceroses are generally territorial animals and prefer to live alone, except for females with their young. Each rhino establishes and defends its own territory, marking its boundaries with dung, urine, or scrapes on trees. They are known to be aggressive in defending their territory and will charge at perceived threats.
2. Herbivorous grazers:
Rhinos are herbivores, with a diet primarily consisting of grasses, leaves, shoots, and fruits. They use their prehensile upper lip to grasp vegetation and pull it into their mouths. Rhinos have a specialized digestive system that allows them to efficiently extract nutrients from the fibrous plant matter they consume.
3. Limited vision but excellent sense of smell and hearing:
Rhinoceroses have relatively poor eyesight, and they rely heavily on their excellent sense of smell and hearing to navigate their surroundings and detect predators or threats. Their large ears can swivel to capture even faint sounds, and their sharp olfactory senses allow them to identify food sources and potential dangers from a distance.
4. Aggressive behaviour:
When threatened or provoked, rhinos can display aggressive behaviour. They may charge, snort, and paw the ground as warning signals. If the perceived threat persists, they may charge and attack with their powerful horns, which can cause severe injuries.
5. Social interactions during mating:
During the mating season, male and female rhinos come together for reproductive purposes. Males may engage in fights and displays of strength to establish dominance and win access to females. After mating, the male and female rhinoceros typically go their separate ways.
6. Parental care:
Female rhinos exhibit maternal care towards their offspring. They give birth to a single calf after a gestation period of approximately 15 to 18 months. The calf stays with its mother for several years, during which time she provides protection, nurtures, and teaches it essential survival skills.
It's important to note that behaviours can vary among different rhinoceros species and individuals.