Raccoon

Scientific name: Procyon lotor

Lifespan: 2 – 3 years (In the wild)

Trophic level: Omnivorous Encyclopedia of Life

Higher classification: Raccoons

Mass: 3.5 – 9 kg (Adult)

The raccoon sometimes spelled racoon,also known as the common raccoon,North American raccoon,northern raccoon,and colloquially as coon,is a medium-sized mammal native to North America. The raccoon is the largest of the procyonid family, having a body length of 40 to 70 cm (16 to 28 in) and a body weight of 5 to 26 kg (11 to 57 lb). Its grayish coat mostly consists of dense underfur which insulates it against cold weather. Two of the raccoon's most distinctive features are its extremely dexterous front paws and its facial mask, which are themes in the mythologies of the indigenous peoples of the Americas. Raccoons are noted for their intelligence, with studies showing that they are able to remember the solution to tasks for up to three years.The diet of the omnivorous raccoon, which is usually nocturnal, consists of about 40% invertebrates, 33% plant foods, and 27% vertebrates.
The original habitats of the raccoon are deciduous and mixed forests, but due to their adaptability they have extended their range to mountainous areas, coastal marshes, and urban areas, where some homeowners consider them to be pests. As a result of escapes and deliberate introductions in the mid-20th century, raccoons are now also distributed across mainland Europe, Caucasia, and Japan.

Though previously thought to be solitary, there is now evidence that raccoons engage in gender-specific social behavior. Related females often share a common area, while unrelated males live together in groups of up to four animals to maintain their positions against foreign males during the mating season, and other potential invaders. Home range sizes vary anywhere from 3 hectares (7.4 acres) for females in cities to 5,000 hectares (12,000 acres) for males in prairies. After a gestation period of about 65 days, two to five young, known as "kits", are born in spring. The kits are subsequently raised by their mother until dispersal in late fall. Although captive raccoons have been known to live over 20 years, their life expectancy in the wild is only 1.8 to 3.1 years. In many areas, hunting and vehicular injury are the two most common causes of death.

Tres Marias raccoon
Scientific name: Procyon lotor insularis
Higher classification: Raccoon
Rank: Subspecies

The Tres Marias raccoon (Procyon lotor insularis) is a subspecies of the common raccoon endemic on the two main islands of the Islas Marías, an archipelago off the western coast of the Mexican state of Nayarit.Although sometimes considered to be a valid species, the Tres Marias raccoon is now regarded to be a subspecies of the common raccoon, introduced to the Islas Marías in the recent past. It is slightly larger than the common raccoon and has a distinctive angular skull. There are fewer than 250 mature individuals on the islands, they are hunted by the islanders and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated their conservation status as being "endangered".

Guadeloupe raccoon

Scientific name: Procyon lotor minor
Higher classification: Raccoon
Rank: Subspecies

The Guadeloupe raccoon (Procyon lotor minor) is a common raccoon endemic on the two main islands Basse-Terre Island and Grande-Terre of Guadeloupe in the Lesser Antilles.

HIPPOPOTAMUS

Lifespan: 40 – 50 years

Trophic level: Omnivorous Encyclopedia of Life

Speed: 30 km/h (On Land, Running)

Mass: Male: 1,500 – 1,800 kg (Adult), Female: 1,300 – 1,500 kg (Adult)

Diet: Herbivore

The common hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibious), or hippo, is a large, mostly herbivorous, semi aquatic mammal native to sub-Saharan Africa, and one of only two extant species in the family Hippopotamidae, the other being the pygmy hippopotamus (Choeropsis liberiensis or Hexaprotodon liberiensis). The name comes from the ancient Greek for "river horse". After the elephant and rhinoceros, the common hippopotamus is the third-largest type of land mammal and the heaviest extant artiodactyl. Despite their physical resemblance to pigs and other terrestrial even-toed ungulates, the closest living relatives of the Hippopotamidae are cetaceans (whales, dolphins, porpoises, etc.) from which they diverged about 55 million years ago.
Common hippos are recognizable by their barrel-shaped torsos, wide-opening mouths revealing large canine tusks, nearly hairless bodies, columnar legs and large size; adults average 1,500 kg (3,310 lb) and 1,300 kg (2,870 lb) for males and females respectively, making them the largest species of land mammal after the three species of elephant and the white and Indian rhinoceros. Despite its stocky shape and short legs, it is capable of running 30 km/h (19 mph) over short distances.

The common hippopotamus inhabits rivers, lakes and mangrove swamps, where territorial bulls preside over a stretch of river and groups of five to thirty females and young. During the day, they remain cool by staying in the water or mud; reproduction and childbirth both occur in water. They emerge at dusk to graze on grasses. While hippopotamuses rest near each other in the water, grazing is a solitary activity and hippos are not territorial on land. The hippopotamus is among the most dangerous animals in the world as it is highly aggressive and unpredictable. They are threatened by habitat loss and poaching for their meat and ivory canine teeth.

Bison

Energy: 179 Calories (per 100 g)

Protein: 25.45 g (per 100 g)

Scientific name: Bison

Iron: 3.19 mg (per 100 g)

Height: Bison latifrons: 2.5 m

Mass: Bison antiquus: 1,600 kg

Bison are large, even-toed ungulates in the genus Bison within the subfamily Bovinae.

Two extant and six extinct species are recognised. Of the six extinct species, five went extinct in the Quaternary extinction event. Bison palaeosinensis evolved in the Early Pleistocene in South Asia, and was the evolutionary ancestor of B. priscus (steppe bison), which was the ancestor of all other Bison species. From 2 MYA to 6,000 BC, steppe bison ranged across the mammoth steppe, inhabiting Europe and northern Asia with B. schoetensacki (woodland bison), and North America with B. antiquus, B. latifrons, and B. occidentalis. The last species to go extinct, B. occidentalis, was succeeded at 3,000 BC by B. bison.

Of the two surviving species, the American bison, B. bison, found only in North America, is the more numerous. Although commonly known as a buffalo in the United States and occasionally in Canada, it is only distantly related to the true buffalo. The North American species is composed of two subspecies, the Plains bison, B. b. bison, and the Wood bison, B. b. athabascae, which is the namesake of Wood Buffalo National Park in Canada. A third subspecies, the Eastern Woodland Bison (B. b. pennsylvanicus) is no longer considered a valid taxon, being a junior synonym of B. b. bison. References to "Woods Bison" or "Wood Bison" from the eastern United States confusingly refer to this subspecies, not B. b. athabascae, which was not found in the region. The European bison, B. bonasus, or wisent, is found in Europe and the Caucasus, reintroduced after being extinct in the wild.

While all bison species are classified in their own genus, they are sometimes bred with domestic cattle (genus Bos) and produce fertile offspring called beefalo or zubron.

Classifications

American bison

Scientific name: Bison bison
Mass: 620 kg (Adult)
Conservation status: Near Threatened (Population stable)
Gestation period: 283 days
Trophic level: Herbivorous 

The American bison (Bison bison), also commonly known as the American buffalo or simply buffalo, is a North American species of bison that once roamed the grasslands of North America in massive herds. They became nearly extinct by a combination of commercial hunting and slaughter in the 19th century and introduction of bovine diseases from domestic cattle, and have made a recent resurgence largely restricted to a few national parks and reserves. Their historical range roughly comprised a triangle between the Great Bear Lake in Canada's far northwest, south to the Mexican states of Durango and Nuevo León, and east to the Atlantic Seaboard of the United States (nearly to the Atlantic tidewater in some areas) from New York to Georgia and per some sources down to Florida. Bison were seen in North Carolina near Buffalo Ford on the Catawba River as late as 1750.

Two subspecies or ecotypes have been described: the plains bison (B. b. bison), smaller in size and with a more rounded hump, and the wood bison (B. b. athabascae)—the larger of the two and having a taller, square hump.Furthermore, the plains bison has been suggested to consist of a northern (B. b. montanae) and a southern subspecies, bringing the total to three.[8] However, this is generally not supported. The wood bison is one of the largest wild species of bovid in the world, surpassed by only the Asian gaur and wild water buffalo. It is the largest extant land animal in the Americas.

The American bison is the national mammal of the United States.

European bison

Scientific name: Bison bonasus
Mass: 610 kg (Adult)
Conservation status: Vulnerable (Population increasing)
Gestation period: 266 days
Length: 2.9 m (Adult)

The European bison (Bison bonasus), also known as wisent  or the European wood bison, is a Eurasian species of bison. It is one of two extant species of bison, alongside the American bison. Three subspecies existed in the recent past, but only one survives today. The species is, theoretically, descended from a hybrid, a cross between a female aurochs, the extinct wild ancestor of modern cattle, and a male Steppe bison; the possible hybrid is referred to informally as the Higgs bison.Alternatively, the Pleistocene woodland bison has been suggested as the ancestor to the species.
European bison were hunted to extinction in the wild in the early 20th century, with the last wild animals of the B. b. bonasus subspecies being shot in the Białowieża Forest (on the Belarus-Poland border) in 1921, and the last of B. b. caucasus in the northwestern Caucasus in 1927. B. b. hungarorum was hunted to extinction in the mid-1800s. The Białowieża or lowland European bison was kept alive in captivity, and has since been reintroduced into several countries in Europe. They are now forest-dwelling. The species has had few recent predators besides humans, with only scattered reports from the 19th century of wolf and bear predation. European bison were first scientifically described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758. Some later descriptions treat the European bison as conspecific with the American bison. It is not to be confused with the aurochs, the extinct ancestor of domestic cattle.

In 1996, the International Union for Conservation of Nature classified the European bison as an endangered species. Its status has since been changed to being a vulnerable species. In the past, especially during the Middle Ages, it was commonly killed for its hide and to produce drinking horns.

Steppe bison
Scientific name: Bison priscus
Higher classification: Bison
Rank: Species

The steppe bison or steppe wisent (Bison priscus) is an extinct species of bison that was once found on the mammoth steppewhere its range included Europe,Central Asia,Northern Asia,Beringia, and North America,from northwest Canada to Mexico during the Quaternary.

Bison latifrons

Scientific name: Bison latifrons
Height: 2.5 m (Adult, At Shoulder)Higher classification: Bison
Rank: Species

Bison latifrons (also known as the giant Ice Age bison or long-horned bison) is an extinct species of bison that lived in North Americaduring the Pleistocene epoch. B. latifrons thrived in North America for approximately 200,000 years, but became extinct some 20,000–30,000 years ago, at the beginning of the Last Glacial Maximum.

Bison antiques

Scientific name: Bison antiquus
Mass: 1,600 kg (Adult)
Length: 4.6 m (Adult)

Higher classification: Bison 

Rank: Species

Bison antiquus, the Ancient or Antique bison, was the most common large herbivore of the North American continent for over 10,000 years, and is a direct ancestor of the living American bison.

Bison occidentalis

Scientific name: Bison occidentalis

Higher classification: Bison
Rank: Species

Bison occidentalis is an extinct species of bison that lived in North America from about 11,000 to 5,000 years ago, spanning the end of the Pleistocene to the mid-Holocene.Likely evolving from Bison antiquus, B. occidentalis was smaller overall from its ancestor and other species such as the steppe bison. B. occidentalis had a highly variable morphology, and their horns, which pointed rearward, were much thinner and pointed than Pleistocene species of bison.Around 5,000 years ago, B. occidentalis was replaced by today's smaller Bison bison.

B. occidentalis may have declined in numbers because of competition with other grass eaters of the megafauna epoch. More recently ancient DNA studies have proven interbreeding between B. occidentalis and ancestral modern bisons, so B. occidentalis was proposed to have been a localized offshoot of B. antiquus and part of the transition from that chronospecies to modern bisons.

GIRAFFE

Scientific name: Giraffa

Gestation period: 13 – 15 months

Habitats: Savanna, Grassland, Woodland

Height: Male: 5 – 6 m (Adult), Female: 4.6 m (Adult)

Mass: Male: 1,200 kg, Female: 830 kg

The giraffe (Giraffa) is a genus of African even-toed ungulate mammals, the tallest living terrestrial animals and the largest ruminants. The genus currently consists of one species, Giraffa camelopardalis, the type species. Seven other species are extinct, prehistoric species known from fossils. Taxonomic classifications of one to eight extant giraffe species have been described, based upon research into the mitochondrial and nuclear DNA, as well as morphological measurements of Giraffa, but the IUCN currently recognizes only one species with nine subspecies.

The giraffe's chief distinguishing characteristics are its extremely long neck and legs, its horn-like ossicones, and its distinctive coat patterns. It is classified under the family Giraffidae, along with its closest extant relative, the okapi. Its scattered range extends from Chad in the north to South Africa in the south, and from Niger in the west to Somalia in the east. Giraffes usually inhabit savannahs and woodlands. Their food source is leaves, fruits and flowers of woody plants, primarily acacia species, which they browse at heights most other herbivores cannot reach. They may be preyed on by lions, leopards, spotted hyenas and African wild dogs. Giraffes live in herds of related females and their offspring, or bachelor herds of unrelated adult males, but are gregarious and may gather in large aggregations. Males establish social hierarchies through "necking", which are combat bouts where the neck is used as a weapon. Dominant males gain mating access to females, which bear the sole responsibility for raising the young.

The giraffe has intrigued various cultures, both ancient and modern, for its peculiar appearance, and has often been featured in paintings, books, and cartoons. It is classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as Vulnerable to extinction, and has been extirpated from many parts of its former range. Giraffes are still found in numerous national parks and game reserves but estimations as of 2016 indicate that there are approximately 97,500 members of Giraffa in the wild, with around 1,144 in captivity.

Classifications

Northern giraffe
Scientific name: Giraffa camelopardalis
Rank: Species
Higher classification: Giraffe

The northern giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis), also known as three-horned giraffe, is a proposed species of giraffe native to North Africa. Proposed to be a separate species, it is considered the type species and one of the four living species of the genus Giraffa. The species was described and given its binomial name by Swedish zoologist Carl Linnaeus in 1758. Three subspecies are recognized. In the current IUCN taxonomic scheme, there is only one species of giraffe with the name G. camelopardalis and nine subspecies.

Once abundant throughout Africa since the 19th century, it ranged from Senegal, Mali and Nigeria from West Africa to up north in Egypt.The West African giraffes once lived in Algeria and Morocco in ancient periods until their extinctions due to the Saharan dry climate.It is isolated in South Sudan, Kenya, Chad and Niger.

All giraffes are considered Vulnerable to extinction by the IUCN.In 2016, around 97,000 individuals from all subspecies were present in the wild.There are currently 5,195 northern giraffes.

Reticulated giraffe
Scientific name: Giraffa reticulata
Rank: Species
Higher classification: Giraffe

The reticulated giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis reticulata), also known as the Somali giraffe, is a subspecies of giraffe native to the Horn of Africa. It lives in Somalia, southern Ethiopia, and northern Kenya.There are approximately 8,500 individuals living in the wild. The reticulated giraffe was described and given its binomial name by British zoologist William Edward de Winton in 1899, however the IUCN currently recognizes only one species of giraffe with nine subspecies.

Reticulated giraffes can interbreed with other giraffe species in captivity or if they come into contact with populations of other species in the wild.

Together with the Rothschild's giraffe, it is by far the giraffe that is most commonly seen in zoos.Its coat consists of large, polygonal, liver-colored spots outlined by a network of bright-white lines. The blocks may sometimes appear deep red and may also cover the legs.

Rothschild's giraffe

Scientific name: Giraffa camelopardalis rothschildi
Higher classification: Giraffe
Rank: Subspecies

Rothschild's giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis rothschildi) is a subspecies of Giraffa species. It is one of the most endangered distinct populations of giraffe, with 1671 individuals estimated in the wild in 2016.

West African giraffe

Scientific name: Giraffa camelopardalis peralta
Higher classification: Giraffe
Rank: Subspecies

The West African giraffe, Niger giraffe[1] or Nigerian giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis peralta) is a subspecies of the giraffe distinguished by its light colored spots, which is found in the Sahel regions of West Africa.

In the 19th century it ranged from Senegal to Lake Chad,yet in 2011 this subspecies only survives in a few isolated pockets containing about 400 individuals in total.Its last self-sustaining herd is in southwest Niger, supported by a series of refuges in Dosso Region, and the tourist center at Kouré, some 80 km southeast of Niamey. All captive so-called "West African giraffe" are now known to be the Kordofan giraffe (G. c. antiquorum).

Kordofan giraffe

Scientific name: Giraffa camelopardalis antiquorum
Higher classification: Giraffe
Rank: Subspecies

The Kordofan giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis antiquorum) is a subspecies of northern giraffe found in northern Cameroon, southern Chad, Central African Republic and possibly western Sudan.Historically some confusion has existed over the exact range limit of this subspecies compared to the West African giraffe, with populations in e.g. northern Cameroon formerly assigned to the latter.Genetic work has also revealed that all "West African giraffe" in European zoos are in fact Kordofan giraffe. Compared to most other subspecies, the Kordofan giraffe has relatively small, more irregular spots on the inner legs. Its English name is a reference to Kordofan in Sudan. There are around 2,000 individuals living in the wild.

The Christian Science Monitor lists only 38 individuals being alive in the embattled Garamba National Park in The Democratic Republic of Congo due to poaching; their skin is used for luxury goods and they are said to produce enough meat to feed poachers for 'weeks'. Recent genetic studies also shows distinct genetic populations of giraffe that makes conservation of these subspecies even more important.

KANGAROO

Phylum: Chordata

Family: Macropodidae

Kingdom: Animalia

Genus: Macropus

Order: Diprotodontia

Class: Mammalia 

The kangaroo is a marsupial from the family Macropodidae (macropods, meaning "large foot"). In common use the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, especially those of the genus Macropus: the red kangaroo, antilopine kangaroo, eastern grey kangaroo, and western grey kangaroo. Kangaroos are endemic to Australia. The Australian government estimates that 34.3 million kangaroos lived within the commercial harvest areas of Australia in 2011, up from 25.1 million one year earlier.

As with the terms "wallaroo" and "wallaby", "kangaroo" refers to a polyphyletic grouping of species. All three refer to members of the same taxonomic family, Macropodidae, and are distinguished according to size. The largest species in the family are called "kangaroos" and the smallest are generally called "wallabies". The term "wallaroos" refers to species of an intermediate size.There is also the tree-kangaroo, another genus of macropod, which inhabits the tropical rainforests of New Guinea, far northeastern Queensland and some of the islands in the region. A general idea of the relative size of these informal terms could be:
wallabies: head and body length of 45–105 cm and tail length of 33–75 cm; The dwarf wallaby (the smallest member) length is 46 cm and weigh of 1.6 kg;
tree-kangaroos: from Lumholtz's tree-kangaroo body and head length of 48–65 cm, tail of 60–74 cm, weigh of 7.2 kg (16 lb) for males and 5.9 kg (13 lb) for females; to the grizzled tree-kangaroo length of 75–90 cm (30 to 35 in) and weight of 8–15 kg (18–33 lb);
wallaroos: the black wallaroo, the smallest by far, with a tail length of 60–70 cm and weight of 19–22 kg for males and 13 kg for females;
kangaroos: a large male can be 2 m (6 ft 7 in) tall and weigh 90 kg (200 lb).

Kangaroos have large, powerful hind legs, large feet adapted for leaping, a long muscular tail for balance, and a small head. Like most marsupials, female kangaroos have a pouch called a marsupium in which joeys complete postnatal development.

The large kangaroos have adapted much better than the smaller macropods to land clearing for pastoral agriculture and habitat changes brought to the Australian landscape by humans. Many of the smaller species are rare and endangered, while kangaroos are relatively plentiful.

The kangaroo is a symbol of Australia and appears on the Australian coat of arms[4] and on some of its currencyand is used by some of Australia's well known organisations, including Qantas and the Royal Australian Air Force.The kangaroo is important to both Australian culture and the national image, and consequently there are numerous popular culture references.

Wild kangaroos are shot for meat, leather hides, and to protect grazing land. Although controversial, kangaroo meat has perceived health benefits for human consumption compared with traditional meats due to the low level of fat on kangaroos.

REPRESENTATIVE SPECIES

Red kangaroo
Scientific name: Macropus rufus
Rank: Species
Higher classification: Macropus

The red kangaroo (Macropus rufus) is the largest of all kangaroos, the largest terrestrial mammal native to Australia, and the largest extant marsupial. It is found across mainland Australia, avoiding only the more fertile areas in the south, the east coast, and the northern rainforests.

Western Grey 
kangaroo

Scientific name: Macropus fuliginosus
Higher classification: Macropus
Rank: Species

The western grey kangaroo (Macropus fuliginosus), also referred to as a black-faced kangaroo, mallee kangaroo, and sooty kangaroo, is a large and very common kangaroo found across almost the entire southern part of Australia, from just south of Shark Bay to coastal South Australia, Western Australia, western Victoria, and the entire Murray–Darling basin in New South Wales and Queensland.

Eastern Grey kangaroo

Scientific name: Macropus giganteus
Rank: Species
Higher classification: Macropus

The eastern Grey kangaroo (Macropus giganteus) is a marsupial found in southern and eastern Australia, with a population of several million. It is also known as the great grey kangaroo and the forester kangaroo. Although a big eastern grey male typically masses around 66 kg (weight 145 lb.) and stands almost 2 m (6.6 ft.) tall, the scientific name, Macropus giganteus (gigantic large-foot), is misleading: the red kangaroo of the semi-arid inland is larger, weighing up to 90 kg.

Antilopine kangaroo
Scientific name: Macropus antilopinus
Higher classification: Macropus
Rank: Species
The antilopine kangaroo (Macropus antilopinus), sometimes called the antilopine wallaroo or the antilopine wallaby, is a species of macropod found in northern Australia: in Cape York Peninsula in Queensland, the Top End of the Northern Territory, and the Kimberleyregion of Western Australia. It is a locally common, gregarious grazer.

The name antilopine means antelope-like. The antilopine kangaroo is sometimes referred to as the 'antilopine wallaroo', but in behaviour and habitat is more similar to the red and grey kangaroos.

The antilopine kangaroo is one of a few macropods to display sexual dimorphism, with the male being mostly a reddish colour above, and females being considerably greyer. It is one of the largest macropods, being only slightly smaller than the red kangaroo (Macropus rufus) and the eastern grey kangaroo (Macropus giganteus).

RHINOCEROS

Scientific name: Rhinocerotidae

Mass: White rhinoceros: 2,300 kg, Black rhinoceros: 800 – 1,400 kg, Indian rhinoceros: 2,100 kg

Lifespan: White rhinoceros: 40 – 50 years, Black rhinoceros: 35 – 50 years

Speed: White rhinoceros: 50 km/h, Black rhinoceros: 55 km/h, Indian rhinoceros: 55 km/h

Gestation period: White rhinoceros: 16 – 18 months, Black rhinoceros: 15 – 16 months, Indian rhinoceros: 16 months

A Rhinoceros from Greek rhinokeros, meaning "nose-horned", from rhinos, meaning "nose", and keratos, meaning "horn"), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is one of any five extant species of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae, as well as any of the numerous extinct species. Two of the extant species are native to Africa and three to Southern Asia.

Members of the rhinoceros family are some of the largest remaining megafauna, with all species able to reach or exceed one tonne in weight. They have a herbivorous diet, small brains (400–600 g) for mammals of their size, one or two horns, and a thick (1.5–5 cm) protective skin formed from layers of collagen positioned in a lattice structure. They generally eat leafy material, although their ability to ferment food in their hindgut allows them to subsist on more fibrous plant matter when necessary. Unlike other perissodactyls, the two African species of rhinoceros lack teeth at the front of their mouths, instead relying instead on their lips to pluck food.

Rhinoceros are killed by humans for their horns, which are bought and sold on the black market, and used by some cultures for ornaments or traditional medicine. East Asia, specifically Vietnam, is the largest market for rhino horns. By weight, rhino horns cost as much as gold on the black market. People grind up the horns and consume them, believing the dust has therapeutic properties. The horns are made of keratin, the same type of protein that makes up hair and fingernails.Both African species and the Sumatran rhinoceros have two horns, while the Indian and Javan rhinoceros have a single horn. The IUCN Red List identifies the Black, Javan, and Sumatran rhinoceros as critically endangered.

Classification

White Rhinoceros

Scientific name: Ceratotherium simum
Conservation status: Near Threatened (Population increasing)Encyclopedia of Life
Lifespan: 40 – 50 years
Trophic level: Herbivorous Encyclopedia of Life
Mass: Male: 2,300 kg, Female: 1,700 kg
Height: Male: 1.7 – 1.8 m (At Shoulder), Female: 1.6 – 1.8 m (At Shoulder)

The white rhinoceros or square-lipped rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum) is the largest extant species of rhinoceros. It has a wide mouth used for grazing and is the most social of all rhino species. The white rhinoceros consists of two subspecies: the southern white rhinoceros, with an estimated 19,682–21,077 wild-living animals in the year 2015, and the much rarer northern white rhinoceros. The northern subspecies had very few remaining, with only three confirmed individuals left in 2017 (two females; Fatu, 17 and Najin, 27: and one male; Sudan, 44), all in captivity.

Black Rhinoceros
Scientific name: Diceros bicornis
Mass: 800 – 1,400 kg (Adult)
Lifespan: 35 – 50 years
Height: 1.3 – 1.8 m (Adult, At Shoulder)
Gestation period: 15 – 16 months
The black Rhinoceros or hook-lipped rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis) is a species of rhinoceros, native to eastern and southern Africa including Botswana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Although the rhinoceros is referred to as black, its colors vary from brown to grey.

The other African rhinoceros is the white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum). The word "white" in the name "white rhinoceros" is often said to be a misinterpretation of the Afrikaans word wyd (Dutch wijd) meaning wide, referring to its square upper lip, as opposed to the pointed or hooked lip of the black rhinoceros. These species are now sometimes referred to as the square-lipped (for white) or hook-lipped (for black) rhinoceros.

The species overall is classified as critically endangered (even though the South-western black rhinoceros is classified as vulnerable), and three subspecies, one including the western black rhinoceros, were declared extinct by the International Union for Conservation of Nature(IUCN) in 2011.

Indian Rhinoceros
Scientific name: Rhinoceros unicornis
Gestation period: 16 months
Mass: Male: 2,100 kg (Basel Zoo population), Female: 1,600 kg (Basel Zoo population)
Height: Male: 1.6 – 1.9 m (At Shoulder), Female: 1.5 – 1.7 m (At Shoulder)
Length: Male: 3.7 – 3.8 m (Head and body), Female: 3.1 – 3.4 m (Head and body)

The Indian rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis), also called the greater one-horned rhinoceros and great Indian rhinoceros, is a rhinoceros native to the Indian subcontinent. It is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, as populations are fragmented and restricted to less than 20,000 km2 (7,700 sq mi). Moreover, the extent and quality of the rhino's most important habitat, alluvial grassland and riverine forest, is considered to be in decline due to human and livestock encroachment.

The Indian rhinoceros once ranged throughout the entire stretch of the Indo-Gangetic Plain, but excessive hunting and agricultural development reduced their range drastically to 11 sites in northern India and southern Nepal. In the early 1990s, between 1,870 and 1,895 rhinos were estimated to have been alive.In 2015, a total of 3,555 Indian rhinoceros are estimated to live in the wild.





Javan Rhinoceros
Scientific name: Rhinoceros sondaicus
Higher classification: Rhinoceros
Rank: Species
The Javan rhinoceros (Rhinoceros sondaicus), also known as the Sunda rhinoceros or lesser one-horned rhinoceros, is a very rare member of the family Rhinocerotidae and one of five extant rhinoceroses. It belongs to the same genus as the Indian rhinoceros, and has similar mosaicked, Armour-like skin, but at 3.1–3.2 m (10–10 ft) in length and 1.4–1.7 m (4.6–5.6 ft) in height, it is smaller (closer in size to the black rhinoceros of the genus Diceros). Its horn is usually shorter than 25 cm (9.8 in), and is smaller than those of the other rhino species. Only adult males have horns; females lack them altogether.

Once the most widespread of Asian rhinoceroses, the Javan rhinoceros ranged from the islands of Java and Sumatra, throughout Southeast Asia, and into India and China. The species is critically endangered, with only one known population in the wild, and no individuals in captivity. It is possibly the rarest large mammal on Earth,21 with a population of as few as 58 to 61 in Ujung Kulon National Park at the western tip of Java in Indonesia.A second population in Cat Tien National Park in Vietnam was confirmed as extinct in 2011.The decline of the Javan rhinoceros is attributed to poaching, primarily for their horns, which are highly valued in traditional Chinese medicine, fetching as much as US$30,000 per kg on the black market.31 As European presence in their range increased, trophy hunting also became a serious threat. Loss of habitat, especially as the result of wars, such as the Vietnam War, in Southeast Asia, has also contributed to the species' decline and hindered recovery. The remaining range is within one nationally protected area, but the rhinos are still at risk from poachers, disease, and loss of genetic diversity leading to inbreeding depression.

The Javan rhino can live around 30–45 years in the wild. It historically inhabited lowland rain forest, wet grasslands, and large floodplains. It is mostly solitary, except for courtship and offspring-rearing, though groups may occasionally congregate near wallows and salt licks. Aside from humans, adults have no predators in their range. The Javan rhino usually avoids humans, but will attack when it feels threatened. Scientists and conservationists rarely study the animals directly due to their extreme rarity and the danger of interfering with such an endangered species. Researchers rely on camera traps and fecal samples to gauge health and behavior. Consequently, the Javan rhino is the least studied of all rhino species. Two adult rhinos with their calves were filmed in a motion-triggered video released on February 28, 2011, by WWF and Indonesia's National Park Authority, which proved it is still breeding in the wild.In April 2012, the National Parks Authority released video showing 35 individual Javan rhinos, including mother/offspring pairs and courting adults. As of 2016 there are only 63 individuals left out in the wild and none captive.

Elasmotherium

Scientific name: Elasmotherium
Higher classification: Rhinoceros
Rank: Genus

Elasmotherium ("Thin Plate Beast"), also known as the Giant Rhinoceros of Siberia, is an extinct genus of rhinoceros endemic to Eurasia during the Late Pliocene through the Pleistocene, documented from 2.6 Ma to as late as 29,000 years ago in the Late Pleistocene.Three species are recognized. The best known, E. sibiricum, was the size of a mammoth and is thought to have borne a large, thick horn on its forehead. Theories about the function of this horn include defense, attracting mates, driving away competitors, sweeping snow from the grass in winter and digging for water and plant roots.[citation needed] Like all rhinoceroses, elasmotheres were herbivorous. Unlike any others, its high-crowned molars were ever-growing. Its legs were longer than those of other rhinos and were adapted for galloping, giving it a horse-like gait.