Paulo Rhinoceros

Introduction

The Paulo rhino (Mutilum rhinoceros) is a plant-eating animal that dwells in the foliage of wetlands and grasslands throughout Africa. It is the only remaining species of rhinoceros. They are mostly located in the southern parts of Africa but some spread to other parts of Africa. It is only 4-4.3 feet tall and has a horn that is shed every year.

It has evolved from the black rhino who became critically endangered because of the amount that was killed for their horns and their skin. They also went faced habitat and fragmentation. The black rhino lost lots of land due to development, and over ninety percent of black rhinos were hunted in the 20th century and the few remaining died out in the early 21st century. The first Paulo rhino was born a few years before the last black rhinos died.

Etymology

The common name is Paulo rhino, Paulo is the Latin word for little and the Paulo rhino is the smallest species of rhino there has ever been. The Latin name is Mutilum Rhinoceros, mutilum means hornless and the Paulo rhino sheds its horn annually with the intention of not being poached. Therefore, it is called the Mutilum rhinoceros.

Habitat and Population

There are now roughly 12,300 Paulo rhinos spread throughout Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, Botswana, Kenya, and South Africa. They live in wetlands, grasslands, and savannas. They tend to stay in areas with foliage so they are less exposed and can hide. They are solitary creatures like their ancestors, the black rhino. This and their small size helps them from being seen by any potential threats. They are herbivores and their diet is composed of grass, roots, leaves, and shrubs. They are not a threat to other species, but they are not at the bottom of the food chain. When they have shed their horns is when they are most vulnerable. With the Paulo rhino being the smallest rhino ever it is faster than old species of rhino due to less weight and a smaller mass. The pregnancy of a Paulo rhino lasts for 7-9 months which is half the time it used to take rhinos and the Paulo rhino can have 1-3 babies at a time. They give live birth and stay with the mother rhino for the first year until it has grown its first horn.

History

The Paulo rhino evolved from the black rhino who went extinct after being poached for their horns and skins. The black rhino also faced habitat loss and there were too few to reproduce enough for the species to survive. Most of the problems the black rhino faced where do to humans. Even though there are about five times the amount of Paulo rhinos as there were black rhinos in the 21st century, the Paulo rhino is hardly seen by humans. Even though there are about five times the amount of Paulo rhinos as there where black rhinos in the 21st century. The first Paulo rhinos were Triplet female rhinos whose mother was one of the last black rhinos. Having triplets was something different that had never happened to a rhino before. Usually, rhinos would only have one calf at a time and the calf would be in the womb for 14-18 months, which was one of the reasons they could not make it come back and all the other species besides the Paulo rhino went extinct. The Paulo rhino was able to survive because of its shorter pregnancy ( 7-9 months) and the ability to have multiple babies at a time.

The Paulo rhino is smaller than any other rhino, which gives it the advantage of needing less food to survive and being able to live in a smaller habitat. The first three Paulo rhinos bred with the few remaining black rhinos before they went extinct and overtime the DNA became less of the black rhino and more of the Paulo rhino. The population was able to grow at a quick rate due to the multiple calf’s a Paulo rhino could have at once. Another important factor in the success of the growing population of the Paulo rhino is that its horn is shed annually so people can gather the horns instead of killing the rhinos for their horns.

Evolution

The first Paulo rhinos came from a mutated black rhino who was able to have triplets, and the triplets were all much smaller at birth than a regular black rhino. The mutation was passed down to the triplets who were all calf’s. As they bred, the mutation carried down in the genes of the rhinos. With the hope of saving the rhinos scientists altered their DNA trying to get rid of their horns, but what ended up happening was that the Rhino would shed its horn annually. This altered rhino was much different than the black rhino so they change its name to the Paulo rhino do to sit small size.

The Paulo rhino still eats the same things that other rhinos had eaten, but they needed less food to survive. They eat grass, leaves, roots, and other vegetation. They use their horns to dig up water when there is no other water to be found during a dry spell. The underside of the Paulo rhino is much better than the black rhino which helps it see predators or other dangers. Because of these adaptations, it looks like the Paulo rhino should have a long future.

Summary

The Paulo rhino is the only type of rhino that is still living today, they have had a few evolutions due to mutations that have made it possible for them to survive even when the other rhinos did not. They can be found throughout Africa and live in the grassy plains, savannas, and wetlands. They eat vegetation from the ground and on bushes. There are over 12,000 living Paulo rhinos and the number is increasing. Unlike other rhinos, they can have multiple calf’s at once and the pregnancy only lasts 7-9 months which is much faster than the 14-18 months it took other species of rhinos. They are also smaller than any other rhino that has ever existed, which makes it easier for them to stay out of the sight of predators and to survive with fewer resources: land, food, and water. With the combination of these adaptations along with better eyesight, the Paulo rhino has been able to survive and outlive all the other species of rhinos. And at the rate things are going the number of Paulo rhinos will be able to increase in the future.

Works Cited

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