Although illegal hunting only impacted 0.2% of white rhinos in 2005, poaching has increased over 3,000% and is beginning to threaten the sustainability of the species.
Category: FaunaFacts
FaunaFocus releases a new FaunaFact every single day! These bite-sized bits of information are interesting facts paired with a unique image of that animal.
White Rhino
Numbers of white rhino under private ownership continue to increase, numbering at least 5,500 by the end of 2010.
White Rhino
White rhino mothers are the sole caregivers of the young for 2-3 years, while males have no parental investment on calves beyond the mating process.
White Rhino
Due to poaching and civil wars, the northern white rhino subspecies is considered extinct in the wild.
White Rhino
Female white rhinos are slightly smaller than males and have longer and thinner horns.
White Rhino
98.8% of white rhino occur in just four countries: South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Kenya.
White Rhino
White rhino horn is highly prized for making ornately carved handles for jambiyas, ceremonial daggers worn in some Middle East countries.
White Rhino
There are 10,000 white rhinos in the wild and 750 in captivity worldwide.
White Rhino
There are more white rhinos on private land in South Africa than there are rhino in the whole of the rest of Africa.
White Rhino
The southern white rhino is the most numerous of the rhino taxa.
White Rhino
Two subspecies of the white rhino are recognized: the southern white rhino, (SWR) C. s. simum, and the northern white rhino, (NWR) C. s. cottoni.
White Rhino
With only two individuals left, the northern white rhino has little chance of surviving extinction unless inter-crossing with the southern white rhino.
White Rhino
There is debate whether the northern white rhino should be considered a separate species, rather than a subspecies, of the white rhinoceros.
White Rhino
White rhinos are "Near Threatened" due to illegal poaching as a result of organized criminal syndicates, increased black market prices, and nontraditional medicinal uses of rhino horn.
Axolotl
Generally the top predator, axolotls will eat anything they can catch, including molluscs, fishes, and arthropods.
Axolotl
Invasive species, such as tilapia and carp, negatively impact wild axolotls through competition, predation, and the spread of disease.
Axolotl
Axolotls are an important research animal and are used in studies of the regulation of gene expression, embryology, neurobiology, and regeneration.
Axolotl
The traditional consumption of the axolotl by local people, is threatening the survival of the species.
Axolotl
Although there are many captive axolotl, the re-introduction of captive-bred axolotls is not recommended until threats, disease, and genetic risks can be mitigated.
Axolotl
Male and female axolotls can be distinguished by the cloaca and the plumpness of the body.
Axolotl
Despite its status in the wild, the axolotl is one of the most widely used and studied animals in laboratories and aquaria around the globe.
Axolotl
Female axolotl lay up to 1,000 eggs every 3-6 months in freshwater plants, like many other amphibians.
Axolotl
Nearly all modern laboratory axolotls can be traced back to 33 animals shipped from Xochimilco to Paris in 1864.
Axolotl
The closest relative of the axolotl is the tiger salamander; viable offspring can even be produced between the two species.
Axolotl
Axolotls can regenerate new limbs, tails, and even heart and brain cells, making them a research opportunity for long-term human health.
Axolotl
Because known populations are few and far between, little is known about the ecology and natural history of axolotls.
Axolotl
Axolotls are excellent lab specimens as they are easy to raise and inexpensive to feed, yet yield amazing research opportunities.
Axolotl
Because they are neotenic, adult axolotls retain the feathery external gills and finned tails from their juvenile stages.
Axolotl
Axolotls are one of 5 paedomorphic, neotenic aquatic salamanders, meaning they do not undergo metamorphosis and retain larval characteristics while living permanently in water.
Axolotl
Even though there is a supply of captive-bred axolotls, wild ones are still being caught and sold illegally for human consumption, medicinal uses, and pets.
Axolotl
The axolotl is critically endangered due to a small area of occupancy, fragmented distribution, and a continuing decline in habitat and number of mature individuals.
Axolotl
While axolotl are usually black in color, other color phases, including white, have been produced in the laboratory.
Axolotl
There is debate as to whether the axolotl should be classified as its own species or as a subspecies of the tiger salamander.