Monday, July 21, 2014

Nashorn, sarvikuono, nosorog, 犀牛

The rhinos are not the most active of creatures despite, like your humble correspondent, looking like they could use a bit of Zumba. Supposedly they spend about a third of their waking hours doing what you see in the picture above. Dominant bulls have slightly less naptime because they have to patrol the borders of their turf. Fun fact: Dominant bulls will mark their territory with mounds of poop along the borders. Also, a bunch of rhinos is called a "crash".
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7 comments:

Bob said...

Rhinos ain't got nothin' on hippos in the excrement department:

Hippos defecate copious amounts into the rivers and ponds in which they wallow all day and also partake of a charming ritual described by hippo experts as "dung showering." They blow crap mixed with urine all over the place to humiliate their hippo rivals and inferiors and mark the territory around their watering hole, swishing their little tails to be sure to get plenty of coverage at nose level. Cecil described this hippo habit in his diatribe against spraying cats in www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_011.html: "The hippopotamus, for instance, is said to mark jungle trails by excreting a lethal mixture of urine and feces while twirling its tail like a propeller. This may explain the historically sluggish market for pet hippopotamuses."

Joseph said...

One good enema given to DOJ & POTUS would do it. If needed, congress could be added, but I fear of a fecal fantasia happening.

rickn8or said...

Bob--
So you're saying a Hippo isn't that much different from your average politician?

monkeyfan said...

"Also, a bunch of rhinos is called a 'crash'."

That's interesting in light of the factoid that a bunch of baboons is called a "congress".

Skip said...

So, in all four corners of my yard will save ammo?

LabRat said...

Rhinos are nature's tractors. Slow, not particularly maneuverable, highly fuel inefficient, but none of that is particularly relevant if you get foolish with one. And they most certainly change the landscaping.

Windy Wilson said...

Bob, I can only think of Gayla Peavey, whose desire for a Hippopotamus for Christmas" was expressed in a song.