Reflection No.1

White Rhinoceros
Source: http://www.biaza.org.uk/public/images/campaigns/rhinoDocs/whiteRhino.pdf

Source: http://www.whozoo.org/students/obiibe/WhiteRhinoFwz20201a10.jpg

1) What is the article about?
The article is a description of the white rhinoceros, its physical characteristics, social behaviour, location and habitat.
The white rhino has a square-lipped mouth. Its scientific name is Ceratotherium simum, "cerato" meaning "horn" ""therium“, meaning "wild beast" and "simus“ meaning "flat nosed" in Greek. White rhinos feed on grasses and their broad upper lip is adjusted to this type of food. There are two sub-species, the Southern Ceratotherium simum simum and the Northern Ceratotherium simum cottoni.
The white rhino is the bigger one of the two African species. Adult males weigh between 1,800 and 2,500 kg and females 1,800-2,000 kg. Their weight at birth is 40-60kg. Their heights at shoulder is 1.5m to 1.8m. The colour of their skin is grey. There is no difference in the skin colour of both African
species, nevertheless, after wallowing, the actual colour of the animal inevitably matches the colour of the local soil. Their outline is characterised by a pronounced hump. The head hangs down; they look uponly when alarmed. They are surprisingly agile and can run very fast, up to 40 km/h for short periods. Horns are used as weapons against predators and for dominance and threat displays in
contact with other rhinos. White rhinos have two horns: the larger front horn
measures up to around 100 cm while the smaller rear horn reaches up to around 50 cm. As with all rhino species, the horns grow from the skin and consist of compressedstrands of keratin. They are not attached to the skull, but rest on bone pedicels at its dorsal part. The horns are continuously growing and if broken away, will subsequently grow back.

2) What have you learnt?
From this article, I had learnt that the white rhino's name in Greek was named after one of its characteristics, its "square-lipped mouth". Their lips are used to adjust to eating grasses. I had also learnt that there are two types of rhino, the northern and the southern and there are no difference in the skin color of both African species, nevertheless, after wallowing, the actual colour of the animal inevitably matches the colour of the local soil. Also, white rhinos can run very fast, up to 40km/hour for short periods. Their horns are used as weapons against predators and for dominance and threat displays in contact with other rhinos. Their
horns are continuously growing and if broken away, will subsequently grow back.

3) My perspectives.
Before I read the article, I had only a little knowledge about the white rhinoceros. I have only heard from my friends that it was an endangered species and are located in South Africa.
However, after I read, I gained new knowledge and my perspectives have changed. I used to think that the horns on the rhinos are just natural organs just like how humans us have fingers. But the article states otherwise. Now, I know that the horns on the rhinos heads are used for self-defense when their enemy attacks them. I also used to think that rhinos had big body and were plump and could not run fast. Now, I know that they can actually run at 40km/hour, even at short periods! Now, I feel that white rhinos are amazing animals and they must not extinct. We humans must do our part and help save white rhinos by spreading the message.