Rhinos

Rhinoceros pregnancies last about 15–16 months!

Baby rhinoceros can stand up and walk within one hour of being born!

A mother rhinoceros usually has one calf at a time, and births twins are extremely rare!

Young rhinoceros start eating solid food at about two weeks old but continue nursing for over a year!

Baby rhinoceros don’t have horns when they’re born — their horns start growing a few weeks after birth!

Young male rhinoceros leave their mothers when they’re about 3 years old to live on their own!

Female rhinoceros can have their first calf when they’re about 6–7 years old!

Baby rhinoceros grow very quickly, gaining up to 2 pounds (1 kilogram) per day!

A rhinoceros calf will stay close to its mother’s front legs when in danger!

White Rhinoceros are grazers and mainly eat grass, while Black Rhinoceros are browsers and prefer leaves and twigs!

An adult rhinoceros can drink up to 19 gallons (72 liters) of water per day — that’s as much as a bathtub holds!

Rhinoceros use their lips like built-in pruning shears to clip vegetation!

White Rhinoceros have wide, flat lips perfect for grazing on grass, while Black Rhinoceros have pointed lips ideal for picking leaves!

Rhinoceros can eat some thorny plants that other animals can’t because of their tough lips and skin!

Indian Rhinoceros love to eat water plants and will wade into deep water to reach them!

A rhinoceros spends about half of its day eating!

Rhinoceros don’t need to chew their food much because their digestive system breaks down tough plant material!

Rhinoceros often visit natural salt licks to get important minerals their bodies need!

Different rhinoceros species eat different types of plants, which means they don’t compete with each other for food!

Rhinoceros sometimes eat soil to get additional minerals their bodies need!

During dry seasons, rhinoceros can digest tougher, woodier plants that other animals can’t eat!

A rhinoceros’ daily diet can include over 200 different species of plants!

A white rhino eats a giant pumpkin’s weight in grass every day — enough to fill half a pickup truck!

Sumatran Rhinoceros love to eat fruits that fall from rainforest trees!

A rhinoceros’ rough tongue helps it grip and pull vegetation into its mouth!

Rhinoceros teeth are specially adapted to grind tough plant material!

Rhinoceros calves start tasting vegetation when they’re just a few days old, even though they can’t digest it yet!

During rainy seasons, rhinoceros can be more selective about what they eat because more plants are available!

A mother rhinoceros makes enough milk to fill a large watering can every day for her calf — about 12–15 liters (3–4 gallons)!

There are only about 27,000 rhinoceros left in the wild today, making them one of the most endangered large mammal groups!

The Javan Rhinoceros is the rarest of all rhino species!

Rhinoceros are protected by special rangers who use high-tech equipment like drones and tracking devices to keep them safe!

Some rhinoceros live in special protected areas called sanctuaries where they’re safe from poaching!

The Northern White Rhinoceros is almost extinct, with only two females left in the world!

While the White, Black, and Sumatran rhinoceros have two horns, the Indian and Javan rhinoceros have only one horn!