Weight:
The female Indian rhino weighs 1600 kg (3500
lb); male: 2200 kg (4800 lb).
Habitat:
The Indian rhino has been recorded from
a number of habitats, including marshy lowland
and reedbeds; tall grass or bush with patches
of savanna and occasional streams and swamps;
thick tree and scrub riverine forest; and dry,
mixed forest. Some of this ecological flexibility
may be due to seasonal preferences and some
to pressure from development which forces the
rhino into suboptimal habitat.
Age to Maturity:
6 to 8 years.
Gesation Period:
16 months.
Birth Season:
Between the end of February and the end
of April.
Birth Rate:
One Indian rhino calf is usually born at
a time. The time between births can be as short
as 22 months, but usually is 2 - 4 years.
Maximum Age:
45 years.
Diet:
The Indian rhino mainly eats grass, reeds
and twigs. It uses its prehensile upper lip
to browse tall grass and shrubs. It can fold
the tip away when feeding on short grass. Woody
browse comprises about 20% of its diet during
the winter. In some localities it feeds in cultivated
areas.
Behavior:
The Indian rhino spends long periods lying
in water and wallowing in mud. It feeds mostly
in the morning and evening.
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