Sumatran Rhinoceros
The Sumatran Rhinoceros is the smallest of the remaining five species of Rhinceros. It is also the furriest of the remaining species, allowing it to survive at very high altitudes in Sumatra and Borneo. It is now one of the world's rarest animals due to habitat loss and poaching.
Sumatran Rhinoceros Drawing (Friedrich Wilhelm Kuhnert, 1927)
Physical Characteristics
The Sumatran Rhinoceros is the lightest of the remaining five species, averaging only 700 kg, with the largest known weight of some individuals being only up to 1,000 kg. The body length of this animal is between 2.4 and 3.2 m, and their shoulder height is about 1.3 cm high. Like both the White and Black Rhinoceros species, the Sumatran Rhinoceros has two horns, with the front being larger at about 29-70 cm, and the smaller which is generally less than 10 cm long. The males also have large horns than the females. These rhinos are reddish brown in colour, and their hair can be very dense or scarce.
Reproduction
The female Sumatran Rhino will reach sexual maturity at approximately 4-6 years of age, whereas the males will reach sexual maturity several years later, when they are about 7-8 years of age. Females will only go into heat whilst a male is nearby, and a females pregnancy will span over approximately 13-14 months. This species of rhino will also only give birth at an interval of approximately 3-4 years.
Population
The majority of the 200 or so Sumatran Rhinoceros left in the world are in Sundaland. As of February 2005, only about 10 were in captive, and breeding them in captivity has been met with great difficulty.
Misc. Info
- They are solitary animals
- Most active at dawn and just after dusk
- Good swimmers
- Good at handling upwards sloping and steep hills
- Essential nutrients are gained from salt licks
- Last survining species in the same group as the Wooly Rhinoceros (extinct)