The Environment of the Rhinoceros

Types of Rhinos

• The five species of rhino are scattered throughout Asia and Africa. Black and white rhinos live in southern and eastern Africa. The greater one-horned rhino lives on the Indian subcontinent in parts of India and Nepal. Javan and Sumatran rhinos dwell in parts of Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam.

African Rhinos

• Africa's black and white rhinos are found in the tropical grasslands called savannas. Savannas cover about 5 million square miles, or roughly half, of Africa's surface. They have warm to hot climates and receive between 20 and 50 inches of rain per year. The rain is always concentrated in six or eight months per year and is followed by a long dry period called a drought that is prone to fires. The landscape of the savanna is dominated by tall grasses and dotted with trees such as acacia, baobab and river bushwillow. Some of the other animals found in the savanna include lions, leopards, giraffes, zebras and antelope.

Javan and Sumatran Rhinos

• Javan and Sumatran rhinos are primarily found in the rainforest. The Southeast Asian rainforests have hot, sticky climates and between 60 and 100 inches of rain every year. Unlike savannas, rainforest rain is spread out evenly over much of the year. Much of that rain comes from severe storms caused by powerful wind systems called monsoons. Some of the plants found in Southeast Asian rainforests can include Bengal bamboo, durian trees and figs. Mangrove forests are often found where the rainforests meet the coast. Some of the other animals in the Southeast Asian rainforests include Bengal tigers, orangutans, dawn bats, king cobras and proboscis monkeys.

Greater One-Horned Rhino

• The greater one-horned rhino is also found in the rainforest. The Indian rainforests have a hot, humid climate and receive between 68 and 78 inches of rain every year. India has many types of rainforest including evergreen rainforests, deciduous monsoon rainforests where the trees use their leaves in the autumn and riparian rainforests that exist along rivers. Vegetation in the Indian rainforests include white meranti trees, hollong trees and East Indian mahogany. Some of the animals found in the Indian rainforest include tigers, clouded leopards, elephants, sloths, king cobras and geckos.