Niramin - Feb 14th, 2016

Indian rhinoceros (lat. Rhinoceros unicornis), it is also called armored, is the most large view Asian rhinos. It got its other name because of the unusual folds on the skin that hang down like a shell.

What does it look like

The body length of the Indian (armored) rhinoceros is up to 4 m, and the height at the withers is up to 2 m. The weight of males is about 2.5 tons. The females are smaller in size and weigh up to 1.6 tons. There is one horn, 25 cm long, maximum - 60 cm. There are three fingers on the legs. The large dimensions of the animal are not an obstacle to the development of a sprint speed of 40 km / h over short distances. The hearing and smell of the Indian rhinoceros are good, but the eyesight is poor, like all other varieties of rhinoceros.

Where does it live

Animals prefer to settle in the bush and marshlands in the savannahs in the territory South-East Asia. Most rhinos live in protected areas.

What does it eat

The armored rhinoceros is a herbivore, therefore it feeds only on the shoots of elephant grass and undersized shrubs, aquatic vegetation. They feed in the morning or late evening when it is cool. During the day, they prefer to be in mud puddles or swamps.

reproduction

Mating in rhinos occurs throughout the year. Pregnancy of the female is long - up to almost 500 days. One cub is born every three years. It feeds on mother's milk up to 6-10 months. Puberty achieved in females at 4 years, in males later - by 8 years.

The maximum life expectancy of rhinos is up to 40 years. They can live much longer in captivity.

See the photo gallery of the Indian rhinoceros:























Photo:: Indian rhinoceros - a female with a cub.


Video: In the world. rare rhinoceros. Fragment of the program " Good morning» from 11/16/2015

Video: Indian authorities demanded to protect rhinos (news)

Video: Greater One-horned (Indian) Rhino, Nepal. Indian rhinoceros; Nepal (polozov2235)

Video: Great Indian Rhinoceros

Video: Indian Rhino Drinks. Indian rhinoceros drinking; Nepal (polozov2236)

Everyone knows that the elephant is the largest creature on earth. Who, then, is given second place in the list of giant animals? It is rightfully occupied by the Indian rhinoceros, which among its relatives is the unsurpassed leader in size. This inhabitant of Asia is called a one-horned or armored rhinoceros.

The one-horned heavyweight impresses with its huge size and power. When you look at him, it seems that you see a native of ancient world. In appearance, a clumsy, clumsy and slow giant in armor, if necessary, is able to reach speeds of up to 40 km / h. He has an excellent reaction and in moments of danger he can move very quickly. An amazing Indian creation is such a miracle of nature, what does it eat, how does it reproduce? You will find answers to these questions in this article.

What does an Indian rhinoceros look like?

The armored Indian rhinoceros, the photo of which you can see in the article, as mentioned earlier, is a huge beast. The weight of adults can reach 2.5 tons or even more. In height, males grow up to two meters at the shoulders. Females are smaller and heavier. Their skin is folds located on large areas of the body and, by the way, are feature of this type. From a distance, they look like they are wearing armor, hence the name of these animals.

The skin of the rhinoceros is naked, gray-pinkish in color, although it is almost impossible to distinguish this color. The thing is that Indian rhinos just love to "swim" in puddles. From such baths, the body of the animal is covered with a layer of dirt.

Thick skin plates bear knobby swellings. And on the shoulders there is a deep fold, bent back. There are slight tassels of coarse hair on the ears and tail.

The eyesight of rhinos is very weak and their eyes are small. They usually look with a sleepy look with an offended expression. And the horn, of course, serves as the main decoration of the animal. It can reach a length of 50-60 cm, but in most representatives of this species it does not exceed 25-30 cm. In females, this decoration is more like a pointed bump on the nose.

For defense against enemies, the horn is not the only weapon of rhinos. Their lower jaw is armed with the most powerful incisors, with which the beast can inflict terrible wounds on the enemy.

Where to find the Indian Rhino

The European colonization of Asia led to the appearance of white-skinned hunters with guns in the area. Indian rhinos are delicious hunting trophy. The uncontrolled shooting of these animals has caused the almost complete disappearance of powerful beauties from their free habitats. You can now see them only in the reserves. Also, a small number of these animals are found in places that are hard to reach for humans.

The historical habitat of the armored rhinoceros is very large. But in modern world these giants live only in southern Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and East India. In all these territories, these animals live in reserves, where they are strictly protected. IN wild nature without supervision, one-horned giants are found in the Pakistani province of Punjab, in the remote wilderness of Bangladesh and the adjacent regions of India.

Lifestyle in the wild

Indian rhinos lead a solitary lifestyle. You can’t exactly call them sociable and friendly. You can see two rhinos side by side in one place only when they bask in the water, taking baths. But as soon as these giants come ashore, the friendly mood disappears, and it is replaced by aggression and hostility. Often, after a bath hour, animals arrange fights among themselves, while receiving serious wounds and scars for life.

Each rhinoceros zealously defends its territory (about 4000 m²), which it marks with huge piles of manure. On the site of the animal there must be a small lake or at least a puddle. An ideal option when the beast owns part of the shore of a large reservoir. It is interesting that such a large animal can swim well and is able to swim even very wide rivers.

Indian rhinos “speak” not at all expressively, but these giants have their own communication rules. If the animal is alarmed by something, it emits a loud snore. When the animals graze peacefully, they grunt from time to time with pleasure. The same sounds are heard from the mother, who calls her cubs. During mating season the female can be heard and recognized by special whistling sounds. If the rhinoceros gets into a hopeless situation, is injured or caught, then it roars loudly.

What do rhinos eat

The one-horned rhinoceros is a herbivore. Representatives of this species prefer to go out to the pasture in the morning and in the evening, when the heat is not so annoying. During the sun, they take mud baths, bathe in lakes or reservoirs. Frequent meals and water procedures coincide, the animals feed directly in the water, without which they simply cannot exist.

The menu of the Indian rhinoceros consists of elephant grass and young reed shoots. Animals get such food with the help of the upper keratinized lip. Aquatic plants are also included in the diet of these giants.

reproduction

First time a female rhinoceros participates in marriage games at the age of three. It is she who pursues the male during the rut. It happens to rhinos every one and a half months. The male is ready for breeding only from 7-8 years.

The female's pregnancy lasts 16.5 months. The cub is born only one, but rather large, its weight ranges from 60 to 65 kg. It looks more like a pig than a rhinoceros - just as pink and even with the same muzzle. Only now all the characteristic outgrowths and folds, except for the horn, give out in the baby belonging to the kingdom of rhinos.

population

In captivity, Indian rhinos can live up to 70 years; in the wild, such centenarians are not found. Compared to the Javanese and Sumatran, the armored rhinoceros is considered a fairly prosperous species, there are about 2,500 of its representatives.

Moreover, their number is steadily increasing. But still, despite the apparent well-being, the Indian rhinoceros (the red book confirms this) is considered a vulnerable species and must be protected.

RHINO INDIAN

(Rhinoceros unicornis)

INDIAN RHINO (Rhinoceros unicornis) or armored, better preserved than other Asian species. This is the largest animal in Asia after the elephant: its body length is up to 4.2 m, the height at the shoulders is up to 2 m and the weight is up to 2 tons. The naked skin of this rhinoceros is divided by folds into large sections hanging down like a shell. Thick skin plates, especially in the back of the body, are knobby swellings. Only on the tail and ears there are small brushes of coarse hair. On the shoulder of the armored rhinoceros there is a deep fold, bent back. The only horn is up to 60 cm long (usually about 20 cm). In the distant past, the Indian rhinoceros was widely distributed in Southeast Asia. But, like other rhinos in Asia, it has long been persecuted by man because of the legends about the healing power of the horn. And now a person who killed a rhinoceros can get pretty rich, so the fight against poaching is extremely difficult, and rhinos are threatened with complete extermination. Already in the XVIII century. rhinos disappeared in western India and Burma, and in the 19th century from the Ganges valley. By the beginning of the 20th century, rhinos survived only in Assam (India), North Bengal and Nepal. Of the total number of rhinos worldwide (approximately 1000), more than 400 live in Kazirang, a special reserve in Assam. The armored rhinoceros lives in swampy savannas and, due to its enormous strength, has almost no enemies other than humans. The mighty elephant retreats before the rhinoceros, even the tiger does not attack the adult rhinoceros. However, the tiger's favorite delicacy is rhino cubs, which he is not averse to dragging off at every opportunity. The Indian rhinoceros defends itself not so much with the horn as with the fangs of the lower jaw, inflicting cutting blows with them. Feeling no danger, the rhinoceros does not run away when other animals or humans appear, but continues to graze. He rushes to the disturber of his peace only as a last resort. Heavy and seemingly unwieldy, it is quite fast and can run at speeds up to 35-40 km/h, jumping over large ditches. Rhino is a good swimmer; for example, in Kaziranga, cases are known when a rhinoceros swam across a very wide Brahmaputra. The Indian rhinoceros is a herbivore that feeds on aquatic plants, young shoots of reeds and elephant grass. During the hot part of the day, rhinoceroses rest in small lakes or puddles, often filled with liquid mud. Most of the time, rhinos live alone, having their own individual plot of about 4000 m2. This area includes dense thickets of elephant grass, as well as a puddle, a small lake or part of the shore of a large reservoir. Animals mark their territory big heaps litter. Passing or running past such a pile, the rhinoceros will definitely sniff it and lay down its droppings. Impenetrable thickets of elephant grass are crossed by numerous rhino trails. There are common paths that many animals go to the mud baths, there are also "private" ones that lead to individual sites, and the owner zealously protects these paths. In the water or mud swamp, you can see several rhinos lying peacefully nearby. However, when the rhinos come ashore, their peaceful coexistence ends and fights often break out. Many rhinoceroses show scars from such battles. Rhinos can be quite dangerous. Often, an irritated rhinoceros, especially a female with a baby, rushes with a snore at the riding elephant and not always the mahaut (elephant driver) manages to keep the elephant. If the elephant is well trained and the mahout is experienced, then when the rhino attacks, the elephant remains in place, and the rhino, not reaching a few steps, stops or turns to the side. But if the elephant does not stand it, turns and starts to run away through the tall grass and bushes, then it is difficult for the rider to stay on his back. It is almost impossible to run away from an attacking rhinoceros. A disturbed rhinoceros makes a loud snore. The female, probably calling the cubs, grunts. The same grunt is occasionally emitted by peacefully grazing animals. The roar is emitted by wounded or caught rhinos, and during the rut, a special, whistling sound is heard that the female makes. The rut of rhinoceroses happens every one and a half months. At this time, the female pursues the male. For the first time, the female takes part in breeding at the age of 3-4 years, the male - at 7-9 years. After 16.5 months, a cub is born weighing about 65 kg, pink, with all the folds and outgrowths, but without a horn and with a pig-like muzzle. Rhinos live for about 70 years.

The Indian rhinoceros is a member of the rhinoceros family. Forms separate view that lives in Central Asia.

The animal has a very big sizes, in this Indian rhinoceros is second only to Indian elephant. The preferred habitat is bush and savannah. This animal lives in the northeast of India, the north of Bangladesh, the east of Pakistan and the south of Nepal. The Indian rhinoceros lives in nature reserves. The most large population Lives in the Indian state of Assam. Its population is more than 1500 individuals. In Nepal, about 600 individuals of this species live in the Chitwan reserve. The population of these animals in Pakistan has approximately 300 rhinos. In general, about 2,500 rhinos live in Asia. The population is at a stable level, even a slight gradual increase is observed.

The appearance of a rhinoceros

Rhinos are large and strong animals. At the withers they reach a height of 1.8 meters. The male weighs an average of 2.2 tons, but there are individuals weighing 2.5 and 2.8 tons.

Males are larger than females. The average weight of a female is about 1.6 tons. In general, there are no external differences between the sexes. On the muzzle they have one horn, the length of which reaches 20-60 cm. With a short length, it looks more like a bump on the animal's nose. The feet have 3 toes. Their eyes are small, their expression gives the impression that the animal is sleepy all the time.


The color of the skin is gray-pink. The body of the rhinoceros is covered with large folds of skin. In appearance, it seems that the body of the animal is covered with a shell. The skin is covered with cone-shaped tubercles. There is no hair on the body. Rhinos have a tail with a small tassel at the end. In appearance, the beast is clumsy, however, it runs well, its speed can reach up to 50 km / h. Unlike the African counterpart, the Indian rhinoceros swims well. This animal has excellent hearing and an excellent sense of smell, but its eyesight is poor.

Behavior and nutrition of a rhinoceros from India

The basis of the diet is reed shoots, elephant grass, aquatic plants, young low grass. It is easy to cut and eat plants helps keratinized sharp lip with a sharp edge. Rhinos are active in the morning and evening time. During the day, the animal rests, preferring to be in puddles or mud pits. At the same time, birds sit on his back and take ticks out of his skin. Reservoirs of Indian rhinos are considered common, but they share the land area. Each animal has its own allotment, the boundaries of which the rhinoceros marks with feces. They drive the guests away, and if they do not leave, then a fight may begin. The bodies of males are scarred because of this.


Rhinos are herd animals.

The rhinoceros has no enemies in the wild, it is too strong, they are even afraid of it. Main enemy- a man who has been killing these animals for centuries. The first reason for this is that the rhinoceros harmed the crops. Even now, when these animals live outside the fence of reserves, they can break through the fence and get into the fields, causing damage to farmers. Previously, wildlife and land peacefully coexisted.


The second reason for the extermination of Indian rhinos is the rumor that the horn of this animal has magical and healing properties. Because of this, the animals were shot in huge quantities, and their horns were sold on the black markets at a very high price. In our century, the number of horns has decreased markedly, and prices have risen a lot. In this regard, poachers now even penetrate nature reserves, killing the animal and cutting off the horn. To protect the animals, the state has passed very harsh laws, according to which employees of the reserves can shoot at all strangers that entered the territory. Moreover, this is done without trial, finding out the identity of the stranger and the reasons for the penetration begins later. Such preventive measures allowed to stabilize the population today.

Reproduction and lifespan

These animals can breed at any time of the year. Puberty in females occurs at the age of 4 years, in males - at 8 years. There is an explanation for this decision of nature: by the age of 8, the male becomes strong and powerful and can continue his race, in more early age he would not have been allowed to do this by older and stronger individuals. And at this age, in battles between males, he defeats more mature representatives of the species.

Sculptor: Johann Gottlieb Kirchner

Year of creation: 1732

Height: 28 cm.

Limited edition of 100 pieces

In the 18th century there was a fashion for everything unusual and exotic. Eastern and Chinese cultures were of great interest. But another object of interest in Europe was outlandish foreign animals.

Rhinoceros for a long time was perceived as an animal monstrous, ugly. His appearance did not fit into the Renaissance ideas of beauty and sophistication. There were many strange legends and stories around him. For example, it was said that poisoned wine begins to boil in a dish made from rhinoceros horn, and the use of powder from ground horn cures many diseases. The Europeans knew that rhinos can walk on the seabed, and in battles with elephants, rhinos always win by ripping open the belly of the enemy with their horn, and in principle only males were known among rhinos. This meager knowledge was enough to give birth to a huge interest in these outlandish clumsy giants.

The rhinoceros was first seen by Europeans in 1515. The rhino was brought from India as a gift to King Manuel of Portugal from King Cambay along a newly established route from Europe to India. The rhinoceros was placed in the zoo at the king's palace. Then a year later, he was sent by Manuel as a gift to Pope Leo Tenth for political reasons, but on the way, while crossing, the ship with the animal chained to the deck sank, having been shipwrecked due to a strong storm. However, along the way, the rhino was once unloaded on an island near Marseille to demonstrate it to the French king Francis the First.

The animal managed to leave a deep impression on the inhabitants of Europe, who were lucky enough to see it. Letters were sent across the continent describing the fantastic animal. Soon all of Europe was talking about the clumsy giant. There is a letter written by one of the merchants to his friend Albrecht Dürer, a famous German painter and graphic artist, the largest European woodcut master.

Dürer self-portrait

The merchant saw a rhinoceros in Lisbon and made detailed description external animal and its habits. Based on this letter, including the stories and sketches of eyewitnesses, the shape of the animal was recorded in 1515 on a woodcut by Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528).

The artist depicted the rhinoceros as described with hard armored plates resembling armor, and endowed the rhino with a twisted horn on the scruff of the neck, scaly legs and a jagged crest on the back. Under the image of the animal, Dürer also engraved a quote from the above letter in German.

(the text erroneously states the date of arrival of the rhinoceros in Lisbon!)

Nach Christiegeburt / 1513. Jar Adi 1. May hat man dem grossmechtigisten König Emanuel von Portugal / gen Lysabona aus India pracht / ain solch lebendig Thier. das nennen sie Rhinocerus / Das ist hie mit all seiner gestalt abconterfect. Es hat ein Farb wie ein gepsreckelte Schildkrot / und ist vom dicken schalen uberleget sehr fest / und ist in der gröss als der heillfandt / aber niderichter von baynen und sehr wehrhafftig es hat ein scharffstark horn vorn auff der Nassen / das begundt es zu werzen wo es bey staynen ist / das da ein Sieg Thir ist / des Heilffanten Todtfeyndt. Der Heillfandt fürchts fast ubel / den wo es Ihn ankompt / so laufft Ihm das Thir mit dem kopff zwischen die fordern bayn / und reist den Heilffanten unten am bauch auff / und er würget ihn / des mag er sich nicht erwehren. dann das Thier ist also gewapnet / das ihm der Jeilffandt nichts Thun kan / Sie sagen auch / das der Rhinocerus / Schnell / fraytig / und auch Lustig / sey.

“In the year 1513 after the birth of Christ, on the first day of May, a live animal from India, which they call the rhinoceros, was brought to Lisbon for the mighty King Emmanuel of Portugal. Here is what it looks like. Its color is similar to the color of a tortoise shell, and it is densely covered with thick scales. And in size it is equal to an elephant, but its legs are shorter, and it is well protected. On the front of his nose he has a strong horn, which he sharpens everywhere when he is among the stones. This beast is the mortal enemy of the elephant, and the elephant is very afraid of him. For wherever he meets him, this beast puts his head between the front legs of the elephant and rips open his belly and kills him, and he cannot defend himself against him. For this beast is so armed that the elephant cannot do anything to it. It is also said that the rhinoceros is a fast, cheerful and agile animal.“

Despite the anatomical inaccuracies, it was this engraving that spread all over Europe and became the basis of attention and inspiration for artists for many centuries. The image of Durer's rhinoceros was used in the scientific works of that time, it was included in the coat of arms and emblems.

Emblem of Alessandro de' Medici

Until the end of the 18th century, Dürer's depiction of a rhinoceros was considered authentic. Drawings closer to the real rhinoceros began to appear after several more rhinos were introduced to Europeans in the mid-18th century. But this, however, did not play any role in the popularity of the engraving.

The image of Durer was used in German textbooks as an illustration of a rhinoceros until the 30s of the 20th century. She inspired Salvador Dali to create a sculpture of a rhinoceros, which stands in Spanish city Marbella.

The fate of rhinoceros attracted attention even into the 20th century and provided the basis for Lawrence Norfolk's 1996 novel The Pope's Rhinoceros.

The engraving of Albrecht Dürer was constantly copied and distributed around the world, one of such copies of 1578 belongs to the hand of Abraham de Broyn, a Dutch copper engraver.

Johann Gottlieb Kirchner, the most famous talented sculptor and fashion designer of the Meissen porcelain factory, was no exception among fans of an unusual animal and in 1732 was able to accurately reproduce the figure of the beast. It was based on Dürer's depiction of a rhinoceros, which was so successful.

The Meissen manufactory has created the most magnificent porcelain sculpture of a rhinoceros, repeating all the features of the animal that were once recorded when it was first encountered in Europe.

The model of the sculpture has been archived at the Meissen manufactory until today. In 2010, on the occasion of the 300th anniversary of the factory, the master fashion designers and restorers breathed life into the restored sculpture of the 18th century and made a splash among collectors and connoisseurs of creativity Meissen.

Interesting fact: There is an assumption that rhinos became the prototype for the creation of such a fictional imaginary animal as unicorns, in line with an era imbued with the spirit of beauty, striving for perfection and grace.

Svetlana Ponomareva - consultant at the Art Salon on Sadova Street in Karlovy Vary
Sources used: materials provided by manufacturers, websites meissen.com, lladro.com, robbeberking.com,
antique forums, scientific literature on topics related to the technology of production of porcelain and silverware
and with their manufacturers, in Russian, German and English