The taxonomy of the subspecies of the black rhino remains unresolved and needs further study. View a list of Black Rhino Scientific names. Throughout history the Black Rhino has been referred to using quite a lot of different scientific names. Bicornis is from the Latin bi for вЂњtwoвЂќ and cornis meaning вЂњhornвЂќ. Diceros being from the Greek di for вЂњtwoвЂќ and ceros meaning вЂњhornвЂќ. The scientific name for the Black Rhino is Diceros bicornis.

Other names: view a list of Black Rhino Vernacular Names.

Prehensile-Lipped Rhinoceros: Refers to the same characteristic hooked-upper lip.

Hook-Lipped Rhinoceros: The narrow upper lip of the Black Rhino is adapted to feeding from trees and bushes and is perfect for ripping of leaves.

Black Rhinoceros: The term black was probably chosen to distinguish it from the White Rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum), although both species are not distinguishable by colour.

Black Rhinos can live up to 5 days without water.

Black Rhinos are known to eat up to 220 different species of plant.Black Rhinos are browsers and primarily feed on leafy plants, branches & shoots.Current Range: In several National Parks primarily located in Namibia, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania & Kenya.Historic Natural Range: Southern and Eastern Africa (from Namibia, through Zambia up to Ethiopia, and all countries to the East) and in a East to west running belt from Ethiopia to Guinea (Southern edge of Sahara).Habitat: grasslands, savannahs and tropical bushland.

Through the past 200 years (until 1998), there have been 775 animals recorded in zoos, of which 292 were born in captivity

Current numbers in captivity: At the end of 2004, there were 277 black rhinos in captivity.

Pre 20th century numbers: several hundred thousand.

Female sexual maturity: at 4 to 7 years.

Birth intervals per calf: 2.5 to 4 years.

Gestation period: around 15 to 16 months.

Black Rhinos browse for food in the morning and evening and sleep or wallow during the hottest part of the day.

Home range size dependent on habitat, sex and age and varies greatly.

Female home ranges overlap and are less solitary.

Males are mainly solitary and probably territorial.

Black Rhinos are usually portrayed as the most aggressive of all Rhino Species.

Black Rhinos may reach speeds of 50 km/h (28 m/h).

Characterisitcs: pointed hooked upper lip (prehensile lip).

The oldest recorded animal lived 44 years 9 months in a zoo.

Anterior Horn length: 0,5 вЂ“ 1,3 m (1 ft 8 in вЂ“ 4 ft 4 in).

There are four subspecies of Black Rhino, but the West African Black Rhino ( Diceros bicornis longipes) is tentatively declared extinct. But due to conservation efforts numbers are stabilising and slowly rising, although tremendous effort is still needed to secure the future for the Black Rhino. The Black Rhino has seen the most drastic decline of all rhino species, because of poaching and habitat loss. There are about 3,610 Black Rhino still left in the wild, but it has been estimated that there were about 70,000 in the late 1960s. ItвЂ™s one of the two species of Rhinos native to Africa and itвЂ™s current range includes Southern and Eastern areas of Africa. The main threat to the subspecies is illegal poaching, which has increased in recent years.The Black Rhinoceros is a herbivorous browser that belongs to the order of the Perissodactyla.

At present the number is increasing overall, but decreasing regionally (in Zimbabwe). By 2001, it had increased to 1,651, and by 2010 it was about 2,200 (with 1,684 of these in South Africa, 431 in Zimbabwe, and a few specimens in other countries). Their population then began to rebound somewhat. It was at 9,090 in 1980, but by 1995, due to a wave of illegal poaching for their horns, their numbers had decreased to 1,300. Over the last 50 years, the south-central black rhino population has declined by 90%. Whether there are any in Mozambique is uncertain, but at least one specimen has been seen there since 2008. At one time, the south-central black rhino had disappeared from Malawi, Botswana, and Zambia, but it has since been reintroduced into those countries.

Today, however, its population stronghold is in northeastern South Africa, and to a lesser extent in Zimbabwe, with even smaller numbers in Eswatini. It is also thought to have inhabited the southern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as well as northern Angola and eastern Botswana. The south-central black rhinoceros once ranged from western and southern Tanzania, through Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique, all the way to northern and eastern South Africa.

South central black rhinoceros