Northern Sumatran rhinoceros

Northern Sumatran rhinoceros
A Northern Sumatran rhinoceros known as "Jackson" at London Zoo, United Kingdom. (photographed between 1903-1905)
Conservation status
Critically endangered, possibly extinct  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Perissodactyla
Family:	Rhinocerotidae
Genus:	Dicerorhinus
Species:	D. sumatrensis
Subspecies:	D. s. lasiotis
Trinomial name
Dicerorhinus sumatrensis lasiotis (Buckland, 1872)

The Northern Sumatran rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis lasiotis), also known as Chittagong rhinoceros or northern hairy rhinoceros, was the most widespread subspecies of Sumatran rhinoceros, as well as the only known subspecies native to mainland Asia.

While it has been officially declared as

Taxonomy

Friedrich Wilhelm Kuhnert

, 1927

The mainland subspecies of the Sumatran rhinoceros was given the name Dicerorhinus sumatrensis lasiotis. The name lasiotis is derived from the Greek for "hairy-ears", as the Northern Sumatran rhinoceros has remarkable longer fur on the ears. The Northern Sumatran subspecies was also called hairy-eared Sumatran rhinoceros or ear-fringed rhinoceros for that reason.

There was a debate whether the Dicerorhinus sumatrensis lasiotis specimen should be considered as a separate subspecies from the similar

Descriptions

The Northern Sumatran rhinoceros is the largest subspecies. It has longer hair on the ears and longer horns. However, it may have less hair on the body than the Western Sumatran rhinoceros.^[4]

Habitat and distribution

The Northern Sumatran rhinoceros lived in tropical rainforests, swamps, cloud forests, jungles and grasslands. It also inhabited hilly areas, near rivers, steep upper valleys and mountains.

The Northern Sumatran rhinoceros was the most widespread of the Sumatran rhinoceroses. It ranged as far as from the

In captivity

Northern Sumatran rhinoceroses, like the other two subspecies, do not live outside of their ecosystem and do not breed well in captivity. There has not been a specimen born in a zoo since a single successful birth in the

Begum was one of at least seven specimens of the extinct subspecies D. s. lasiotis that were held in zoos and circuses.

Cultural depictions

Western Han

(202 BC – 9 AD) period of China, sporting a saddle on its back.

The Northern Sumatran rhinoceros is known to be the most well respected and depicted in Chinese literature. Most ancient and modern Chinese arts and statues of two-horned rhinoceros represent the Northern Sumatran rhinoceros.

A number of folk tales about the Sumatran rhino were collected by colonial naturalists and hunters from the mid-19th century to early 20th century. In

, where the Northern subspecies once lived, the belief was once widespread that the Sumatran rhino ate fire. Tales described the fire-eating rhino following smoke to its source, especially campfires, and then attacking the camp. There was also a Burmese belief that the best time to hunt was every July, when the Sumatran rhinos would congregate beneath the full moon.

References