Original Research

Seasonal variation of diet and faeces composition of Black Rhinoceros Diceros Bicornis in the Addo Elephant National Park

A.J Hall-Martin, T Erasmus, B.P Botha
Koedoe | Vol 25, No 1 | a605 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/koedoe.v25i1.605 | © 1982 A.J Hall-Martin, T Erasmus, B.P Botha | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 01 December 1982 | Published: 02 December 1982

About the author(s)

A.J Hall-Martin, National Parks Board, South Africa
T Erasmus, University of Port Elizabeth, South Africa
B.P Botha, National Parks Board, South Africa

Full Text:

PDF (5MB)

Abstract

The feeding habits of black rhinoceros were studied in the Addo Elephant National Park, Republic of South Africa, using the "feeding track" method and recording bites taken. A total sample of 59 feeding tracks, 5 540 plants and 17 191 bites were recorded from June 1976 to March 1977. The rhino fed largely on woody shrubs but also took forbs, grass and succulent plants. During dry periods the rhino were selecting succulent plants with a high moisture content rather than woody plants. A total of 111 plant species were utilized. During dry months the feeding rate was greater than wet months. Physical analysis of faeces composition confirmed conclusions drawn from observations. Chemical analyses of faeces indicated that mean crude protein values varied with rainfall and herbage quality, ash values were strongly influenced by the intake of plant roots and dust during dry periods, acid detergent fibre was highest during unfavourable periods and low during favourable periods.

Keywords

No related keywords in the metadata.

Metrics

Total abstract views: 6442
Total article views: 4002

 

Crossref Citations

1. Volcanism and paleoenvironment of the pula maar complex: A pliocene terrestrial fossil site in Central Europe (Hungary)
János Kovács, Károly Németh, Péter Szabó, László Kocsis, Gábor Kereszturi, Gábor Újvári, Torsten Vennemann
Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology  vol: 537  first page: 109398  year: 2020  
doi: 10.1016/j.palaeo.2019.109398

2. Feeding Management of African Rhinos (Ceratotherium simum, Diceros bicornis) in European Zoos
Gila Sauspeter, Marcus Clauss, Sylvia Ortmann, Andrew J. Abraham, Rebecca Biddle, Lars Versteege, Marcin Przybyło
Zoo Biology  year: 2025  
doi: 10.1002/zoo.70031

3. Reduced Gut Microbiome Diversity and Metabolome Differences in Rhinoceros Species at Risk for Iron Overload Disorder
Terri L. Roth, Alexandra Switzer, Miki Watanabe-Chailland, Elisabeth M. Bik, David A. Relman, Lindsey E. Romick-Rosendale, Nicholas J. Ollberding
Frontiers in Microbiology  vol: 10  year: 2019  
doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.02291

4. Does variation in plant diversity and abundance influence browsing intensity in black rhinos?
Emanuel S. Sisya, Francis Moyo, Emanuel H. Martin, Linus K. Munishi
African Journal of Ecology  vol: 61  issue: 3  first page: 606  year: 2023  
doi: 10.1111/aje.13145

5. Seasonal diet preferences of black rhinoceros in three arid South African National Parks
Kenneth Gregers Buk, Mike H. Knight
African Journal of Ecology  vol: 48  issue: 4  first page: 1064  year: 2010  
doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2028.2010.01213.x

6. Microwear–mesowear congruence and mortality bias in rhinoceros mass-death assemblages
Matthew C. Mihlbachler, Daniel Campbell, Charlotte Chen, Michael Ayoub, Pawandeep Kaur
Paleobiology  vol: 44  issue: 1  first page: 131  year: 2018  
doi: 10.1017/pab.2017.13

7. Diet preference of black rhinocerosDiceros bicornisat Welgevonden Game Reserve, South Africa, across seasons
Joti Daya, Hervé Fritz, Jan A Venter
African Journal of Range & Forage Science  vol: 41  issue: 2  first page: 81  year: 2024  
doi: 10.2989/10220119.2023.2276840

8. Digestion coefficients achieved by the black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis), a large browsing hindgut fermenter
M. Clauss, J. C. Castell, E. Kienzle, E. S. Dierenfeld, E. J. Flach, O. Behlert, S. Ortmann, W. J. Streich, J. Hummel, J.‐M. Hatt
Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition  vol: 90  issue: 7-8  first page: 325  year: 2006  
doi: 10.1111/j.1439-0396.2006.00606.x

9. Megaherbivore browsers vs. tannins: is being big enough?
Melissa H. Schmitt, Adrian M. Shrader, David Ward
Oecologia  vol: 194  issue: 3  first page: 383  year: 2020  
doi: 10.1007/s00442-020-04784-9

10. Nutritive value of indigenous browse in Africa in relation to the needs of wild ungulates
J.H. Topps
Animal Feed Science and Technology  vol: 69  issue: 1-3  first page: 143  year: 1997  
doi: 10.1016/S0377-8401(97)81629-X

11. Out of scale out of place: Black rhino forage preference across the hierarchical organization of the savanna ecosystem
Vanessa Duthé, Emmanuel Defossez, Rickert van der Westhuizen, Gaëtan Glauser, Sergio Rasmann
Conservation Science and Practice  vol: 2  issue: 5  year: 2020  
doi: 10.1111/csp2.191

12. Increased inflammation and decreased insulin sensitivity indicate metabolic disturbances in zoo-managed compared to free-ranging black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis)
Mandi W. Schook, David E. Wildt, Mary Ann Raghanti, Barbara A. Wolfe, Patricia M. Dennis
General and Comparative Endocrinology  vol: 217-218  first page: 10  year: 2015  
doi: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2015.05.003

13. Effect of high population density of eastern black rhinoceros, a mega‐browser, on the quality of its diet
Benson Okita‐Ouma, Richard Pettifor, Marcus Clauss, Herbert H. T. Prins
African Journal of Ecology  vol: 59  issue: 4  first page: 826  year: 2021  
doi: 10.1111/aje.12893

14. Consumption of grass by black rhinoceroses in the Thicket Biome
D. M. Parker, R. T. F. Bernard, B. Fike
African Journal of Ecology  vol: 47  issue: 3  first page: 454  year: 2009  
doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2028.2008.01012.x

15. Rhinoceros serum labile plasma iron and associated redox potential: interspecific variation, sex bias and iron overload disorder disconnect
Terri L Roth, Megan Philpott, Jessye Wojtusik, Steven Cooke
Conservation Physiology  vol: 10  issue: 1  year: 2022  
doi: 10.1093/conphys/coac025

16. GUT MICROBIOME DIVERSITY OF THREE RHINOCEROS SPECIES IN EUROPEAN ZOOS
Roy M. van der Meijs, Willem van Leeuwen, Casper Prins, Floyd Wittink, Walter Pirovano, Daniël Duijsings, Bartholomeus van den Bogert, Linda G.R. Bruins-van Sonsbeek
Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine  vol: 55  issue: 2  year: 2024  
doi: 10.1638/2023-0046

17. Tannin-binding salivary proteins in three captive rhinoceros species
Marcus Clauss, Janin Gehrke, Jean-Michel Hatt, Ellen S. Dierenfeld, Edmund J. Flach, Robert Hermes, Johanna Castell, W. Juergen Streich, Joerns Fickel
Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A: Molecular & Integrative Physiology  vol: 140  issue: 1  first page: 67  year: 2005  
doi: 10.1016/j.cbpb.2004.11.005

18. Dental microwear textures and dietary preferences of extant rhinoceroses (Perissodactyla, Mammalia)
Manon Hullot, Pierre-Olivier Antoine, Manuel Ballatore, Gildas Merceron
Mammal Research  vol: 64  issue: 3  first page: 397  year: 2019  
doi: 10.1007/s13364-019-00427-4