Feeding Behavior of the White Rhino

Although there are two types of rhinos, black and white, neither is actually black or white -- both are grey. The difference between black and white rhinos is actually the shape of their lips, which is related to their diet and feeding habits. Black rhinos have pointed upper lips, useful for eating fruits and leaves off the branches of bushes and trees. White rhinos have a squared upper lip, which helps them as they graze the ground for grasses, the staple of their diet.

  1. Grass

    • White rhinos spend most of the day grazing on grasses, which make up the bulk of their diet. They have specially adapted lips and teeth that help them pluck and chew the grass and even a lump of muscle on the back of their neck that helps them raise their head fast while grazing. White rhinos eat up to 35 pounds of grass a day, an activity that can consume more than 50 percent of their waking time. They prefer certain types of grasses over others, like the panicum genera, and will avoid grasses that they don't like.

    Water

    • White rhinos depend on water to survive. They have no sweat glands and therefore must always be near water so they can wallow in mud or sit in the water to cool off. They also drink up to 170 pints of water a day and so are almost always found near a water source.

    Dirt

    • White rhinos have been said to be seen eating dirt, especially the soil around termite mounds. This dirt contains certain types of minerals that the rhino does not get from its grass-based diet.

    Feeding Grounds

    • Adult white rhinos are solitary animals that spend their days feeding and drinking in their own personal territories. Females do not fight over territory, but adult male rhinos use urine to clearly mark their grazing grounds and will battle other adult males who challenge their sovereignty by entering their space. White rhinos do gather occasionally in large groups during the mating season when they also will graze and drink water from the same places.