TY - JOUR AU - Rachlow, Janet L. PY - 2001/01/01 Y2 - 2024/03/29 TI - TREE RUBBING BY WHITE RHINOS: POTENTIAL FUNCTIONS OF AN UNDESCRIBED BEHAVIOR JF - Alces: A Journal Devoted to the Biology and Management of Moose JA - Alces VL - 37 IS - 2 SE - Articles DO - UR - https://www.alcesjournal.org/index.php/alces/article/view/603 SP - 447-456 AB - <p>I observed white rhinos (<em>Ceratotherium simum</em>) in Matobo National Park, Zimbabwe, perform a behavior previously undescribed for this species; males vigorously removed the bark from commiphora trees (<em>Commiphora marlothii</em>) with their horns, and then rubbed their head and rostrum on the debarked areas. To explore this behavior further, I sampled commiphora trees in the Whovi Game Park, a fenced reserve within Matobo National Park, which contained a population of 43 white rhinos. Almost 30% of commiphora trees available to rhinos had been debarked. Only 2 marks were observed on 107 trees outside the fenced reserve, in an area without a resident population of rhinos. Tree rubbing in white rhinos is similar to "sign-posting" in cervids and some bovids, and may function as a scent-marking behavior. Alternatively, perhaps rhinos ingested bark or resin during tree rubbing. Therefore, other potential functions of this behavior may include nutritional or medicinal use of commiphora.</p> ER -