Endangered Species Project
By: Makenzie Gibson
Basic Info
Binomial Nomenclature- Diceros Bicornis (Hook-lipped)
Threat level- Critically endangered
Ecology
Habitat within biome-grassy plains
Geographical region-South Africa, Kenya, Zimbabwe, and Namibia
Relationship
Mutualistic-tick birds and rhinos. The tick birds sit on the rhinos and keep the ticks off of them.
predator/prey-black rhino's eat plants which makes them a primary consumer but they are not targeted by predators because of their size. Although the younger rhino's are targeted by hyenas.
Feeding relationships- black rhino's are herbivores as they eat grass, foliage, buds, bushes or trees. The rhino's lip makes it easier to pick up food.
Within their environment the black rhino does not interact with the environment but very little. One thing that the black rhino does do is that they benefit the soil with their feces.
Human impact- black rhino populations have reduced dramatically since the 1970's due to illegal poaching. The main reason for the illegal poaching is because people want their horns.
Cell/Cellular respiration/photosynthesis
Cellular respiration takes place in the mitochondria. This cycle has two processes...glycosis and the krebs cycle.
To carry out cellular respiration the black rhino needs a working mitochondria so that it can carry out the two processes it needs to.
Black rhino
Herbivore
Black rhino's lip
DNA/ Cell reproduction
Some of the rituals that they go through are that the females mark their dung piles which will attract males to follow the females. Then when the female defecates the male will spread the dung making it more difficult for other males to pick up her scent on the trail.
The somatic (body) cells in the rhino's body go through mitosis to reproduce. The offspring will go through meiosis to undergo reproduction
Evolution
The taxonomic name of the black rhino is rhinoceros bicornis meaning double horned rhino.
Kingdom: Animalia, Phylum: Chordata, Class: Mammalia, Order: Perissodactyla, Suborder: Ceratomorpha, Family: Rhinocerotidae, Genus: Diceros
The black rhino is quite unique to other animals. Some similar animals that have similar names becasue they are also rhino's are the white rhino, the sumatran rhino, and the javan rhino are also endangered because humans are poaching rhinos for their skin and their horns.
Adaptations: Rhinos are the only animals with horns located on the nose not on the top of the head. Rhino horns, grow continuously are used to dig up the ground to get mineral salts and also used as weapons when fighting.
Black rhino's use their horns to keep hyenas away form the young.
The rhino is considered a primary consumer because they eat plants. Their upper lip helps with eating habits.
Large ears to help with hearing from all directions.
The rhino's class is mammalia which means that all mammals are related on the class level.
Population dynamics
The carrying capacity of a rhino population is determined by the amount of illegal poachers that are in the area as well as the amount of food.
Citations
http://www.gambassa.com/public/project/2769/JacobDaviesSpringResearchPaper.html
http://www.awf.org/wildlife-conservation/rhinoceros
https://animalcorner.co.uk/animals/black-rhinoceros/
https://rhinolover.wordpress.com/ecological-niche/
http://creationwiki.org/Rhinoceros
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cellular_respiration
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/12/151222082248.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_rhinoceros
http://ielc.libguides.com/sdzg/factsheets/blackrhino
http://www.lpzoo.org/animal/eastern-black-rhinoceros
http://www.arkive.org/black-rhinoceros/diceros-bicornis/image-G4650.html
http://www.worldwildlife.org/species/javan-rhino