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Rhinoceros

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The rhinoceros is a large mammal native to Africa and Asia. There are five species of rhino found in the world with 3 out of the 5 species of rhino now considered to be critically endangered. The rhino is thought to be the second biggest land mammal in the world behind the African elephant.

The five species of rhinoceros are the white rhino (which is the largest species of rhino) and the black rhino which are both native to Africa and are only really distinguished in size as they look fairly similar. The Indian rhino, the Sumatran rhino and the Javan rhino are all native to Asia and are much smaller in size than the white rhino and the black rhino of Africa.

The rhino averages about 1.5 tons in weight, and the rhino has a tough skin that is roughly 1.5cm thick. The rhino also has a large horn in the middle of its face and some species of rhino have a second smaller horn above the larger one.

The rhinoceros is a herbivore and eats grasses, leaves, shoots, buds and fruits in order to gain the nutrients that the rhino needs to grow and survive. The average rhinoceros regularly gets to about 60 years old in the wild particularly seeing as they have no real predators apart from human poachers. The rhino is also known to have a fairly small brain in comparison to their large size.

The rhino is prized for its horn. The horns of a rhinoceros are made of keratin, the same type of protein that makes up hair and fingernails in most animals including humans. Both African species of rhino and the Sumatran rhinoceros have two horns, while the Indian rhino and Javan rhinoceros have just one horn. Rhinos have brilliant hearing and the rhino also has a keen sense of smell, but the rhino is well known for having extremely poor eyesight.

The rhinoceros is generally found in thick forests and savannas where there is plenty of food to eat and lots of cover for the rhino to hide in. Although the rhino is a herbivore, they are known for their aggressive nature and will often charge towards oncoming predators in order to scare them away. Most rhinoceros individuals that are killed by poachers, are caught out when they are quietly drinking from a water hole and therefore drop their guard.

Rhinoceros Comments (12)

Rhino

"Since everybody calls me rhino I like it cause of the lots of info"

terminator

"rhinos are the best annimals ever.... way better than cheetahs "

sharonay

"Thank you now I know more about rhinos. I also think we should do more to help them. "

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Rhinoceros Facts

Kingdom: Five groups that classify all living things...	Animalia
Phylum: A group of animals within the animal kingdom...	Chordata
Class: A group of animals within a pylum...	Mammalia
Order: A group of animals within a class...	Perissodactyla
Family: A group of animals within an order...	Rhinocerotidae

Scientific Name: Comprised of the genus followed by the species...	Rhinocerotidae
Type: The animal group that the species belongs to...	Mammal
Diet: What kind of foods the animal eats...	Herbivore
Size: How long (L) or tall (H) the animal is...	1.3-2.2m (51-86in)
Weight: The measurement of how heavy the animal is...	800-3,500kg (1,765-7,716lbs)
Top Speed: The fastest recorded speed of the animal...	48km/h (30mph)
Life Span: How long the animal lives for...	35-50 years
Lifestyle: Whether the animal is solitary or sociable...	Solitary
Conservation Status: The likelihood of the animal becoming extinct...	Endangered

Colour: The colour of the animal's coat or markings...	Brown, Grey, Black
Skin Type: The protective layer of the animal...	Leather
Favourite Food:	Grass
Habitat: The specific area where the animal lives...	Tropical bushland, grassland and savannas
Average Litter Size: The average number of babies born at once...	1
Main Prey: The food that the animal gains energy from...	Grass, Fruit, Berries, Leaves
Predators: Other animals that hunt and eat the animal...	Human, Wild cats
Special Features:	Hard, thick skin and two large horns

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	White Rhinoceros The second largest animal on the land!