South-western Black Rhinoceros
Encyclopedia
The South-western Black Rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis bicornis) is a subspecies
of the Black Rhinoceros
. It is currently listed as vulnerable
by the IUCN. The biggest threat towards the subspecies Diceros bicornis bicornis is illegal poaching
.
. They also are most adapted to arid habitat and can be found in arid savanna
and desert
climate
s.
, South Africa
, Angola
, and Namibia
, but their current range has decreased. The stronghold of the species is primarily in Namibia which has 893 individuals or 94.7% of the subspecies living there. They have also been recently re-introduced to South Africa. The population has more than doubled from only 300 in 1980. According to the last estimate in 2001 there are 943 individuals and none in captivity.
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
of the Black Rhinoceros
Black Rhinoceros
The Black Rhinoceros or Hook-lipped Rhinoceros , is a species of rhinoceros, native to the eastern and central areas of Africa including Kenya, Tanzania, Cameroon, South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Angola...
. It is currently listed as vulnerable
Vulnerable species
On 30 January 2010, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species identified 9694 Vulnerable species, subspecies and varieties, stocks and sub-populations.-References:...
by the IUCN. The biggest threat towards the subspecies Diceros bicornis bicornis is illegal poaching
Poaching
Poaching is the illegal taking of wild plants or animals contrary to local and international conservation and wildlife management laws. Violations of hunting laws and regulations are normally punishable by law and, collectively, such violations are known as poaching.It may be illegal and in...
.
Description
The South-western Black Rhino, like all Black Rhino subspecies, has a distinct prehensile lip and is a browser. It differs from the others because it has the largest and straightest hornHorn (anatomy)
A horn is a pointed projection of the skin on the head of various animals, consisting of a covering of horn surrounding a core of living bone. True horns are found mainly among the ruminant artiodactyls, in the families Antilocapridae and Bovidae...
. They also are most adapted to arid habitat and can be found in arid savanna
Savanna
A savanna, or savannah, is a grassland ecosystem characterized by the trees being sufficiently small or widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to support an unbroken herbaceous layer consisting primarily of C4 grasses.Some...
and desert
Desert
A desert is a landscape or region that receives an extremely low amount of precipitation, less than enough to support growth of most plants. Most deserts have an average annual precipitation of less than...
climate
Climate
Climate encompasses the statistics of temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind, rainfall, atmospheric particle count and other meteorological elemental measurements in a given region over long periods...
s.
Population and threats
Historically, this subspecies once roamed in BotswanaBotswana
Botswana, officially the Republic of Botswana , is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa. The citizens are referred to as "Batswana" . Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name after becoming independent within the Commonwealth on 30 September 1966...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, Angola
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
, and Namibia
Namibia
Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...
, but their current range has decreased. The stronghold of the species is primarily in Namibia which has 893 individuals or 94.7% of the subspecies living there. They have also been recently re-introduced to South Africa. The population has more than doubled from only 300 in 1980. According to the last estimate in 2001 there are 943 individuals and none in captivity.