The Black Rhino (endangered)
In the wild, rhinos usually live 30-35 years. Black rhinos have a
reputation of being aggressive, but when left alone, they will rarely
ever attack. Rhinos are herbivores, eating mostly leafy vegetation.
Black rhinos also have a hooked lip to strip leaves from vegetation.
They usually feed at night and the early morning. There is no particular
breeding season, but conceptions tend to peak during the rains so the
babies are born in the early part of the dry season. This allows the
mother’s milk supply to nourish the offspring through the most difficult
time of the year when food and water is scarcer. Rhinos don’t have
sweat glands, so they wallow in water and mud to keep cool.
The Asian Elephant (endangered)
Asian elephants are among the largest herbivores preferring grasses,
leaves, trees, and shrubs. Though the Asian elephant’s ears are smaller
than the African elephant’s ears, they still serve to cool the elephant
when it gets too warm. Elephants also use their trunks for daily
activities like bathing with water, eating, and communicating with
other elephants. Wild bulls are solitary, while cows and calves live in
small herds. One calf is born every 3-4 years after a pregnancy lasting
22 months. Though the adult Asian elephant has no natural predators,
there are only around 50,000 left in the wild.
Hippopotamus
Hippos breed as the dry season is ending, with the females selecting
their mates. Hippos mate and give birth in water. Gestation lasts
about 8 months, and the calves are born at the height of the rainy
season when the most grass is available. Once they can swim, the
calves may nurse, eat, and even nap under water. They automatically
come up to the surface to breathe every few minutes. Amazingly agile
for their bulk, hippos are good climbers and often traverse rather steep
banks each night to graze on grass. Interestingly, they exit and enter
the water at the same spots and graze for four to five hours each night
in loop patterns. Hippos move easily in water, either swimming by
kicking their hind legs or walking on the bottom. They are welladapted to their aquatic life, with small ears, eyes, and nostrils set at
the top of the head. These senses are so keen that even submerged in
water, the hippo is alert to its surroundings. By closing its ears and
nostrils, the adult can stay under water for as long as six minutes.
Tiger (endangered/extinct)
The tiger is a member of the Felidae family. Tigers are solitary animals
often requiring large contiguous areas of habitat that support their
prey demands. Of the nine subspecies of modern tigers, three are
extinct and the remaining six are classified as endangered. The mating
season is mostly from November to April. After a gestation of 100 to
112 days, 2 to 3 cubs are born. The cubs are blind and helpless and
weigh about 1 kg each. The tiger is a carnivore and prefers deer and
wild boar. The tiger’s body is built for capturing and killing large prey
through stealth and sudden attack. Its powerful limbs and a flexible
backbone enable tigers to quickly chase and catch prey over short
distances. They can cover up to 33 ft. in a single leap!
The Tropical Dry Forest
Tropical dry forests, in contrast to rainforest, have to survive a long dry season each year, so
trees and plants must be able to survive periods of low precipitation and moisture. Tropical
forests don’t have winter. They only have 2 seasons, dry and rainy. The average rainfall is
sufficient enough to promote growth of trees, but these tree and plant species must be able to
withstand periods of low precipitation and moisture. Many of the tree species in dry forests are
also deciduous. In order to survive, trees have thicker, more ridged bark; deeper roots, much
more variable leaves; and more types with thorns. During the driest months these species will
drop their leaves in the fall and winter. This dry season leaf-drop reduces the water needs of
the plant, as there is no evapotranspiration through the leaves. Sunlight can then reach the
ground, so the season that’s bad for the trees is good for the forest floor. The length of daylight
is 12 hours and the average temperature is about 68-77˚ F and varies little throughout the
year. Soil is nutrient-poor and acidic. Decomposition is rapid and soils are subject to heavy
leaching. Most animals have to do adaptations in order to survive the dry weather since dry
seasons are extremely long. The dominant wild life is tigers, monkeys; herbivores such as
elephants, Indian rhinoceros, hog deer; birds such as great pied hombill, pied harrier, and spotbilled pelican; insects such as termites; reptiles such as snakes and monitor lizards.
Abiotic: Generally warm year-round; alternating wet and dry seasons; rich soils subject to
erosion, rocks, soil, sunlight, and dense foliage.
Biotic: Wild plant and animal life.