Wildlifeof Nepal
Greater One-horned Rhinoceros
Elephants, Tapir & Rhinos
Photo: Tristan Jobin · CC-BY
Rhinoceros unicornis
Basic stats
Diet
Mainly grass; also twigs, leaves, shrubs, flowers, fruit and aquatic plants
Habitat
Alluvial grasslands of the Terai
Range
Protected areas of the Indo-Gangetic Plain in northern India and southern Nepal
Litter size
A single calf
Gestation period
About 15.7 months
Size
Up to 4.4m long and 2.1m at the shoulder
Weight
Up to 4,000kg
The greater one-horned rhinoceros is a heavy, grey-brown animal with pinkish folds in the skin and a single horn on the snout, reported at up to about 60cm. The upper legs and shoulders are covered in wart-like bumps, and it is almost hairless apart from the eyelashes, ear fringes and tail brush. Among Asian land mammals only the Asian elephant is larger, and the biggest individuals are reported at around 4,000kg (Wikipedia, general species account).
It is a grazer of the alluvial grasslands of the Terai and the Brahmaputra basin, and in Nepal it survives in the southern lowlands. Adults are largely solitary and meet mainly to breed or at wallows and feeding areas. A female bears a single calf after about 15.7 months, with 34 to 51 months between births. Poaching remains a continuing threat. Nationally Endangered (Nepal National Red List 2011).
Quick answers
- What does the Greater One-horned Rhinoceros eat?
- Mainly grass; also twigs, leaves, shrubs, flowers, fruit and aquatic plants
- What habitat does the Greater One-horned Rhinoceros live in?
- Alluvial grasslands of the Terai
- Where is the Greater One-horned Rhinoceros found?
- Protected areas of the Indo-Gangetic Plain in northern India and southern Nepal
- What is the litter size of the Greater One-horned Rhinoceros?
- A single calf
- How long is the gestation period of the Greater One-horned Rhinoceros?
- About 15.7 months
- How big is the Greater One-horned Rhinoceros?
- Up to 4.4m long and 2.1m at the shoulder
- How much does the Greater One-horned Rhinoceros weigh?
- Up to 4,000kg