The black rhinoceros is a herbivorous browser that eats leafy plants, branches, shoots, thorny wood bushes, and fruit.
The optimum habitat seems to be one consisting of thick scrub and bushland, often with some woodland, which supports the highest densities.
Their diet can reduce the amount of woody plants, which may benefit grazers (who focus on leaves and stems of grass), but not competing browsers (who focus on leaves, stems of trees, shrubs or herbs).
It has been known to eat up to 220 species of plants.
They have a significantly restricted diet with a preference for a few key plant species and a tendency to select leafy species in the dry season.
The plant species they seem to be most attracted to when not in dry season are the woody plants.
There are 18 species of woody plants known to the diet of the black rhinoceros, and 11 species that could possibly be a part of their diet too.
Black rhinoceros also have a tendency to choose food based on quality over quantity, where researchers find more populations in areas where the food has better quality.
In accordance with their feeding habit, adaptations of the chewing apparatus have been described for rhinos.
The black rhinoceros has a twophased chewing activity with a cutting ectoloph and more grinding lophs on the lingual side.
The black rhinoceros can also be considered a more challenging herbivore to feed in captivity compared to its grazing relatives.
It can live up to 5 days without water during drought.
Black rhinos live in several habitats including bushlands, Riverine woodland, marshes, and their least favorable, grasslands.
Habitat preferences are shown in two ways, the amount of sign found in the different habitats, and the habitat content of home ranges and core areas.
Habitat types are also identified based on the composition of dominant plant types in each area.
Different subspecies live in different habitats including Vachellia and Senegalia savanna, Euclea bushlands, Albany thickets, and even desert.

They browse for food in the morning and evening.
They are selective browsers but, studies done in Kenya show that they do add the selection material with availability in order to satisfy their nutritional requirements.
In the hottest part of the day they are most inactive- resting, sleeping, and wallowing in mud.
Wallowing helps cool down body temperature during the day and protects against parasites.
When black rhinos browse they use their lips to strip the branches of their leaves.
Competition with elephants is causing the black rhinoceros to shift its diet.
The black rhinoceros alters its selectivity with the absence of the elephant.

There is some variance in the exact chemical composition of rhinoceros horns.
This variation is directly linked to diet and can be used as a means of rhino identification.
Horn composition has helped scientists pinpoint the original location of individual rhinos, allowing for law enforcement to more accurately and more frequently identify and penalize poachers.
The black rhinoceros is a herbivorous browser that eats leafy plants, branches, shoots, thorny wood bushes, and fruit. The optimum habitat seems to be one consisting of thick scrub and bushland, often with some woodland, which supports the highest densities. Their diet can reduce the amount of woody plants, which may benefit grazers (who focus on leaves and stems of grass), but not competing browsers (who focus on leaves, stems of trees, shrubs or herbs). It has been known to eat up to 220 species of plants. They have a significantly restricted diet with a preference for a few key plant species and a tendency to select leafy species in the dry season. The plant species they seem to be most attracted to when not in dry season are the woody plants. There are 18 species of woody plants known to the diet of the black rhinoceros, and 11 species that could possibly be a part of their diet too. Black rhinoceros also have a tendency to choose food based on quality over quantity, where researchers find more populations in areas where the food has better quality. In accordance with their feeding habit, adaptations of the chewing apparatus have been described for rhinos. The black rhinoceros has a twophased chewing activity with a cutting ectoloph and more grinding lophs on the lingual side. The black rhinoceros can also be considered a more challenging herbivore to feed in captivity compared to its grazing relatives. It can live up to 5 days without water during drought. Black rhinos live in several habitats including bushlands, Riverine woodland, marshes, and their least favorable, grasslands. Habitat preferences are shown in two ways, the amount of sign found in the different habitats, and the habitat content of home ranges and core areas. Habitat types are also identified based on the composition of dominant plant types in each area. Different subspecies live in different habitats including Vachellia and Senegalia savanna, Euclea bushlands, Albany thickets, and even desert.
They browse for food in the morning and evening. They are selective browsers but, studies done in Kenya show that they do add the selection material with availability in order to satisfy their nutritional requirements. In the hottest part of the day they are most inactive- resting, sleeping, and wallowing in mud. Wallowing helps cool down body temperature during the day and protects against parasites. When black rhinos browse they use their lips to strip the branches of their leaves. Competition with elephants is causing the black rhinoceros to shift its diet. The black rhinoceros alters its selectivity with the absence of the elephant.
There is some variance in the exact chemical composition of rhinoceros horns. This variation is directly linked to diet and can be used as a means of rhino identification. Horn composition has helped scientists pinpoint the original location of individual rhinos, allowing for law enforcement to more accurately and more frequently identify and penalize poachers.
Black rhinoceros