Fun Trivia » Animals » Wild Mammals » Perissodactyls- Rhinos and Equines

The only species of tapir that lives in the wild in Asia is the Malayan tapir, which lives primarily in Malaysia and Indonesia. It is also known as the Asian tapir. The Malayan tapir is also sometimes called a cipan or a tenuk. Adult Malayan tapirs have a black front half and a white front half. Difficulty: Average.

 

Japanese tapir, New Guinea tapir, Chinese tapir

The black rhinoceros is found exclusively in eastern and central African nations, specifically in Cameroon, South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, Angola, Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Kenya. It is one of two distinct species of rhinoceros found in Africa, the other being the white rhinoceros, which alternatively is referred to as a 'square-lipped' rhino. Difficulty: Very Easy.

 

Asia, Australia, South America

At one time the Javan rhinoceros lived in northeast India, Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Today it only exists at the Ujung Kulon National Park in Indonesia. At the turn of the 21st century, there were less than fifty of these animals left in the wild. There are none in zoos or private collections that are known of. These 40-50 animals are all that remain of this unusual and majestic animal. Difficulty: Easy.

 

Kenya, Tanzania, Romania

Although belonging to the order Perissodactyla (odd-toed ungulates), tapirs only possess an odd number of toes (3) on their hind feet, but an even number (4) on their front feet.

The tapir is often likened in appearance to a pig, but is in fact more closely related to a horse.

It is believed that the extant species of tapirs that exist in South America came from North America following the joining of the two continents. None remain in North America, but three species remain in Central/South America and one in Asia. There is some debate concerning a fifth species, known as the black dwarf lowland tapir, but most accept that this is not a separate species, leaving the tapir species count at four - the Brazilian, Baird's, Malayan, and mountain. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Something which looks like a small rhino with three toes on each foot and a long tail, Something which looks like a small, bulky horse with semi-webbed hooves, Something which looks like a warthog with a trunk-like snout and a concave back

Swahili is an African language. Zebras are Equidae, which are hoofed animals with one toe. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Fumba Mille, Acuna Matata, Saami Talli

It is thought that the name "white rhinoceros" comes from a misinterpretation, by English settlers, of the Afrikaans word, "weit", and the Boer word, "wijdt", both of which actually mean "wide". This was to describe the rhino's broad, square lips. Difficulty: Hard.

 

They look white on a sunny day., It indicates their pure spirit., They are white when they are born.

Only crocodiles and jaguars are brave enough to attempt to eat a Baird's tapir. Oftentimes, the Baird's tapir wins. Its size - a maximum weight of 880 pounds and 12 feet in length - protects it from most predators. In national parks across Central and South America, there are many Baird's tapirs who survived attacks with claw marks and bite marks in their pelt. Smaller species of tapir may also be preyed upon by anacondas and often survive those attacks too. Difficulty: Easy.

 

Jaguar and Toucan, Sloth and Crocodile, Sloth and Jaguar

The main reason that rhino populations have dropped all over the world, is poaching. The horn of any rhino is extremely valuable and can fetch over $500,000 or more, at auction. They have been used for centuries in Chinese herbal medicine. As the human population increased so did the demand for all types of medicine. Its use as an aphrodisiac and aid for impotence has not decreased even with the discoveries of Western medicines such as Viagra and Cialis. Difficulty: Very Easy.

 

Leprosy and tuberculosis, Imported predators, Typhoons

The time when the living species of rhinos appeared varies between sources, but in any case the Sumatran species is seen as the most primitive. The Sumatran rhino emerged between 15 and 20 million years ago, and is of a separate lineage or "tribe" to the other two Asian species, not to mention its African cousins.

The Javan and Indian rhinos belong to the same lineage as one another. Difficulty: Hard.

 

The black rhinoceros, The white rhinoceros, The Indian rhinoceros

"Ceratotherium simum" is from the Greek "cerato" meaning "horn", "therium" meaning "wild beast" and "simum" meaning "flat-nosed".

"Rhinoceros sondaicus" is the Javan rhino, "Diceros bicornis" is the black rhino, "Rhinoceros unicornis" is the Indian rhino and there is a fifth species, "Dicerorhinus sumatrensis", the Sumatran rhino.
Difficulty: Hard.

 

Diceros bicornis., Rhinoceros unicornis., Rhinoceros sondaicus.

If a rhino manages to live a full life, the typical lifespan of a black rhinoceros will be 30 to 35 years, whereas they could live for up to 45-50 years in captivity. Interestingly enough, despite their size, a black rhino can also run up to 35 miles per hour. Difficulty: Hard.

 

10 to 20 years, 20 to 25 years, 10 to 15 years

This habitat provides the rhinos with thick bush cover and a relatively flat terrain. Water is essential for both wallowing and drinking and the short grass for grazing is their staple diet. Difficulty: Easy.

 

The jungle., Dense woody vegetation., Wetlands.

The Javan rhino does not have any natural predators other than man. Man only hunted it for its horn and leathery hide. Even large predators such as the tiger did not attempt to bring down the Javan rhino, as its skin is too thick, and it was strong enough to kill a tiger by trampling it to death. The Javan rhino does not usually share the same environment as the saltwater crocodile, preferring the dense lowland grasslands and forest. Difficulty: Average.

 

The spectacled bear, The orangutan, The saltwater crocodile

A population of no more than eight of these critically endangered animals is thought to exist in the Cat Tien National Park in Vietnam (taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Javan_Rhinoceros).

The main reason for their decline is poaching, as their horns are valuable ingredients in Chinese medicine. This seems odd, as the horn of the Javan rhinoceros is the smallest of all rhino species - less than 10 inches. The female Javan rhino often possesses little or no horn, but just a hardened lump.

The Javan rhino belongs to the same genus as the Indian rhino and displays the same armour-plated look on its skin. However, the Javan rhino is significantly smaller than the Indian, and is more similar in size to the black rhino. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Singapore, Sri Lanka, Brunei

These two subspecies represent the most endangered, and the least endangered, of all rhino species.
The northern white is the most endangered with numbers that dropped to five or ten, rising to about thirty by the late nineties.
The southern white rhino, due to very successful conservation programmes, is the most abundant of all known rhino taxa, with numbers in excess of eleven thousand.
(Data taken from the "African Wildlife Foundation" and the "International Rhino Foundation"). Difficulty: Hard.

 

The western white rhino and the eastern white rhino., The central white rhino and the peripheral white rhino., The greater white rhino and the lesser white rhino.

While mothers and their calves may live together for some time, they tend not to allow other rhinos to join them. Due to their tendency to be violent, black rhinos will frequently fight with one another whenever they encounter each other; it contributes to the death of many rhinos. Difficulty: Easy.

 

hunt, fight, scavenge

The 1883 eruption of Krakatoa killed almost, if not all, of the Javan rhinoceros in the area. Many zoologist believe that if this powerful volcano erupts again, that its proximity to the Ujung Kulon National Park would ensure the extinction of the Javan rhinoceros. Anakrakatau is the name given to what remains of the Krakatoa volcano and it is growing at a rate of about 5 in. (13cm) every week. Volcanic activity, typhoons, and earthquakes are a real threat to the survival of these animals. Difficulty: Average.

 

Mount St. Helens, Laki, Muana Loa

As mentioned previously, the white rhino's name has nothing to do with its colour (which is virtually indistinguishable from that of the black rhino), but is rather a corruption of a Dutch word meaning "wide."

Whilst the black rhinoceros is far smaller than the white and Indian rhinoceroses and slightly smaller than the Javan species, it has, by far, the most formidable horn. The black rhinoceros's horn can measure up to 53 inches, whereas the horn of the white rhino "only" comes in a 47 inches. The horns of the African species are significantly longer and sharper than those possessed by the Asian species - the Indian rhino's horn usually can only grow up to 18 inches.

The aggression of the black rhino may be rivalled by the Indian rhino, or perhaps the Indian elephant (especially when in musth). The black rhinos will not hesitate to utilise their horn when in a duel and have the highest rate amongst mammals of fatalities as a result of intraspecies fighting. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Because of its black skin, Because of the black lining of its mouth, Because it is mostly seen at night

Oxpeckers, also known as tick birds, eat the parasites found on the rhino and noisily warn of approaching danger. This is beneficial to the rhino as they have very poor eyesight and to the oxpeckers as it provides them with food. This benefit is great enough for the rhino that, even though the birds will sometimes obstruct healing (by pecking open sores in the rhino's skin), they are still tolerated. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Elephants, Ticks, Man

While the future of the black rhino is certainly impacted by changes in the environment, competing species, disease, and overconsumption of certain minerals, such as iron, the single most prevalent and detrimental threat to the black rhino is the illegal rhino horn trade. Horns have been used in non-traditional medicines and turned into cups dating back to 1200 B.C. and poaching continues throughout Africa. Difficulty: Easy.

 

deforestation, competing predators/species, changes in habitat/environment

Though not referred to as the armoured rhinoceros, the Indian rhino, like the Javan species, has an armour-plated look to its skin. Whilst the Indian rhino is known as the greater one-horned rhinoceros, the Javan rhino is the lesser one-horned.

Whereas the Javan rhinoceroses numbered less than 60 and the Northern white rhinoceros (sub-species) at just 4, the Indian rhino population is on the rise, and has been since 1910. (Population of Javan and Northern white rhinos is given as figure in 2010.)

Hunted mercilessly the years before, the Indian rhino population in 1910 stood at only 100, but by 2002 had reached 2,400. (Info from http://www.worldwildlife.org/species/finder/indianrhinoceros/indianrhinoceros.html.)

As well as possessing qualities of both the white and black rhinoceroses (size and aggression), the Indian rhino is also similar to both African species in terms of diet. Its lip is slightly pointed, but its mouth is broad at the same time, allowing it to both browse, like the black rhino, and graze, like the white. Difficulty: Hard.

 

The armoured rhinoceros, The lesser woolly rhinoceros, The grey rhinoceros

The white rhinoceros also has two horns which are not true horns but are comprised of "thickly-matted hair that grows from the skull without skeletal support" (African Wildlife Foundation). Difficulty: Hard.

 

It is covered in short, grey hair., It is born hairy but is completely hairless by one year old., It is born hairless but is covered with hair by one year old.

The mountain tapir is the second smallest of the living species of tapirs. It has a thick, woolly coat that is dark brown or black in color. The white fur around its lips is particularly noticeable and its purpose, if any, is unknown. The mountain tapir also has a large proboscis for a nose, longer than that of most other tapirs. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Baird's tapir, Little black tapir, South American tapir

After being born, black rhino calves will stay with their mothers for up to three years, generally when their mother births another calf. While some mothers and daughters may live together for longer periods of time, rhino mothers begin to wean their young at age 2. Difficulty: Hard.

 

8-9 months, 4-5 months, 12-13 months

Zebras have the same gaits as horses. The gaits are walking, trotting, cantering, and galloping. They are a bit slower than horses though. They will attack predators if cornered. Difficulty: Hard.

 

They run straight until they out run them, They run straight then circle around, They have been known to do all of these

Northern and southern white rhinos have, historically, occupied widely separate ranges. Black rhinos are now only officially found in Garamba National Park (in the Democratic Republic of the Congo) although there have been reported sightings in southern Sudan.

White rhinos, having ranged Angola, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia and South Africa, are now mainly found in protected areas and private ranches of South Africa. They have also been introduced to areas where they were not previously known. Difficulty: Easy.

The black rhino's horns are two different sizes, with one far larger than the other. A rhino's horn does not attach to its skull, but is essentially a dense compacted mass made of the same material we find in our fingernails and hair. Difficulty: Easy.

 

bone, cartilage, wood

The Javan rhino is a dusky gray color and blends well into the shadowy forests that it inhabits. It has very thick skin which folds in such a way that it appears to be wearing armor. The Javan rhino has the least amount of hair of any of the rhino family. It has eyelashes, and sparse amounts of hair on the end of its tail and small amounts on its ears. These hairs tend to be the same gray color of the rhino. Difficulty: Average.

 

Glossy black, Reddish brown, Creamy white

Adult males can occupy a territory of up to three kilometres and they mark these with vigorously scraped dung piles. Adult females may have home ranges of up to twenty kilometres or larger, depending on habitat quality and population density (WWF). Difficulty: Hard.

 

Urine-stained bushes., Dig holes with their horns., They don't.

The vocalizations of rhinos have not been researched in great depth, but several noises produced by the white rhino have been recorded. Loud squeals are often used by a bull white rhino to urge females not to leave his territory and shrieks are released to scare another animal away.

White rhinos' noises have been studied more than other rhinoceros species, due to their tendency of being more social. However, observations recorded in Cincinnati Zoo in 2002 led to zoologists concluding that Sumatran rhinos release noises consistently when in the presence of other rhinos. Many of the sounds are too low in frequency to be detected by human ears, and some of the vocalisations of rhinos of all species have been likened to the song of the humpback whale. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Violent shrieks, Low grumbles, Quiet hisses

Cape mountain zebras are a subspecies of mountain zebras. They live in South Africa. Their scientific name is Equus zebra zebra.

IUCN stands for the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Endangered, Threatened, Least Concern

The white rhino has no natural predators and, despite its size, has been easy for man to kill due to its regular habits and frequenting of easily-ambushed areas. The rhino has been hunted for its horn, made of thickly matted hair, for its use in traditional medicine and ornamental carvings, particularly in Asia. Difficulty: Average.

 

Habitat loss., Natural predators., Climate change.