GREAT INDIAN ONE-HORNED RHINOCEROS [Rhinoceros Unicornis]: Rhinos are primitive animals that have evolved very little in the past.  They are ungulates that belong to the order Perrisodactyla or the odd-toed animals.  The Indian rhino is one of the largest of all existing rhinoceroses.

BEHAVIOUR:

1.      HABITAT: Flood plain grasslands inter spread with marsh, swamps and lakes and the adjoining riverine forests are the favored habitats of the Indian rhino.  They prefer to food on short grasses and sheek shelter in thick stands of tall grasses, sometimes 6-8 meters in height.

2.      HABIT: Rhino occasionally feed and wallow in scattered groups of up to or so, but they are solitary by nature and normally confine themselves to a small area of 0.3-2 sq. km. Which is also known as their home range meets most of their requirements of food, water and shelter.  Males have to wander farther for mates.  Accumulated dug piles or maddens are common in rhino country.  It probably serves as territory makers.

3.      FOOD: Although largely grazers feeding on short grasses, Indians rhino will also brows leaves from shrubs and trees and, when near farms will supplement their diet with crops which they habitually said at night.  They are also fond of water and can be often seen feeding on the aquatic plants in a swamp or a lake.

4.      LOCOMOTION: Rhinos are odd-toed animals with three toes on each forefoot.  This gives them ample strength to support their massive body.  They are also capable of fast running whenever required.

 FAMILY:

1. OFFSPRING: After a questation period of 16-17 months, a calf exceptionally two is born.  At birthday are pink and weigh about 60 kg. The mother and calf will stay together for three to four years.  Meanwhile, the mother will probably have mated again and be ready to produce another young.
2. BREEDING: Male rhinos become sexually mature at about 10 years, females a few years earlier.  During courtship, violated encounters between the male and the female by the male, mating finally takes places.  Mating takes long, for up to an hour or more.  

 FACTS:

1. ANCESTRY: Rhinos are old world animals that are they possibly evolved on the Eurasian mainland.  Comparisons of the remains of numerous extinct forms with hole now living indicate seven main lines of descent and evolution from which lesser branches have diversified.  Though these animals are externally similar, they are far apart in history and anatomy possibly being separated as distinct species a million years ago.
2. MYTHS: Rhinos have long been regarded as magical beasts surrounded by strange myths.  The rhino horn, which is nothing but a mass of tangled hair, is regarded as a potent aphrodisiac.  In India and Nepal, every part of a rhino is used: skin, horn, hooves, flesh, bone and even blood, urine and dung.  They are believed to cure diseases, ward of evil spirits and bring good luck.
3. NUMBERS: While the other two have become almost extinct in not only India but also other Southeast Asian countries.  The main threat to their survived is poaching and habitat destruction.  The resurrection of one-horned rhino population in India is a result of a series of conservation efforts that were started in the early 20^th century.
4. PREDATOR: An adult rhino is virtually indestructible.  Tigers are known to attack baby rhinos but such cases are very rare.  It is only man that has been able to fell this massive beast with his bullets.  Most of the time rhino is killed for its coveted horn that supposedly possesses aphrodisiacal powers, the primary poacher who actually shorts the rhino hardly gets any money and it is only the kingpins in the big cities that make a huge profit.  

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