Epic Battles: The Largest Rhino Ever vs. An African Elephant

Written by Kyle Glatz
Published: January 22, 2023
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The African bush elephant is the largest terrestrial animal on the planet today. These gigantic mammals can make any lone predator turn tail and run. However, they were not always the largest animals. Between 34 and 23 million years ago, a gigantic, hornless rhino relative called Paraceratherium towered over animals in Eurasia. Let’s see who would win a heavyweight battle between the largest rhino ever vs. an African elephant!

Comparing the Largest Rhino Ever and an African Elephant

Largest Rhino EverAfrican Elephant
SizeWeight: 24,000 to 44,000 pounds
Height: 15 to 17 feet tall, with a neck that rose above its shoulders another 6 to 8 feet
Length: 20 to 28 feet
Weight: from 4,700 to 13,330 pounds on average, up to 22,900 pounds
Height: 7 to 13 feet tall at the shoulder
Length: from 16 to 24 feet long
Speed– Unknown speed
– Could probably charge prey while running
– Can charge at 25 mph  
Defenses– May have had thick, folded, armored skin like modern rhinos
– At the very least, it had a massive body that would require much damage to kill
– Its head was very high in the air, making a fatal head attack even harder
– The animal’s weight and size would make it very hard to knock over
– Massive body that can take a great deal of damage
– Thick-bodied and strong-boned, requires a lot of force to overcome
– Often live in small groups or herds
– Have enough speed to get away from some animals, but not many
Offensive Capabilities– May have charged and knocked over attackers
– Probably used stomps to fend off predators though it may have had none as an adult
– Had tusks or tusk-like teeth that were probably not used for fighting  
– Some have tusks that can grow from 5 to 8 feet long and weigh between 51 and 100 pounds
– May impale animals with tusks
– Can charge predators and knock them over
– May trample prey with their powerful legs and massive weight
Predatory Behavior– Herbivorous creature that probably lacked any predatory instincts  – Herbivorous creature without predatory instincts
– May charge to defend itself or its young

What Are 2 Key Differences Between the Largest Rhino Ever and an African Elephant?

The most significant differences between the largest rhino ever and an African elephant can be found in their size and attack methods. Paraceratherium weighed between 24,000 and 44,000 pounds and measured up to 28 feet long while standing up to 17 feet tall at the shoulders and having a full height of over 20 feet tall. Meanwhile, an African elephant weighs up to 13,000 pounds on average and 22,900 pounds at its greatest while standing between 7 and 13 feet tall at the shoulder and growing up to 24 feet long.

While both creatures probably charged and stomped on predators to prevent attacks, the African elephant has long tusks that it can use to impale predators. However, the largest rhino ever, a relative of the modern rhino family, lacked a horn and only had small tusks incapable of doing any harm.

These differences will greatly impact the fight, but we need more information about the creatures to figure out the winner of this battle.

Paraceratherium

The largest rhino ever was known as

Paraceratherium

, weighing up to 22,900 pounds.

©Slay/Shutterstock.com

What Are the Key Factors in a Fight Between the Largest Rhino Ever and an African Elephant?

The key factors in a fight between the largest rhino ever and an African elephant are similar to fights between most large mammals. We have to find out which creature has advantages in size, fighting styles, speed, predatory behavior, and defenses.

We’re going to provide information for each of these stats and assign advantages to one animal or the other. With all of these factors accounted for, we’ll be able to determine which animal is most likely to survive this epic battle!

Largest Rhino Ever vs. African Elephant: Size

The largest rhino ever is larger than an African elephant. Paraceratherium weighed about 24,000 to 44,000 pounds, a lower estimate than researchers originally believed. This creature stood 15 to 17 feet tall at the shoulder, but it also had a giraffe-like neck that was 6 to 8 feet long. The creature’s total body length was 20 to 28 feet long.

Meanwhile, the African elephant weighs between 4,700 and 13,300 pounds on average, but the heaviest one weighed 22,900 pounds. Moreover, they stand about 7 to 13 feet tall at the shoulder and grow 16 to 24 feet long.

The largest rhino ever has the size advantage in this fight.  

The largest rhino ever has the size advantage in this fight.
Paraceratherium

, the largest rhino ever, has the size advantage in this fight.

©AKKHARAT JARUSILAWONG/Shutterstock.com

Largest Rhino Ever vs. African Elephant: Speed

The African elephant is probably faster than the largest rhino ever was. African elephants can run at speeds up to 25 mph when charging their prey. We don’t know how fast the largest rhino could run, but it was probably not that swift given its size.

The African elephant has a speed advantage in this fight.

The African elephant has a speed advantage

The African elephant has a speed advantage in this fight, running at speeds up to 25 mph when charging their prey.

©Volodymyr Burdiak/Shutterstock.com

Largest Rhino Ever vs. African Elephant: Defenses

The largest rhino ever probably had stout defenses, and most predators probably left adults alone entirely. While we don’t know for certain what this animal looked like when it was alive, it’s often depicted as having the thick, armored skin of modern rhinos.

While we can’t speak for the animal’s skin, we know it had an immense body. Most creatures would not risk challenging something that can put them down with a single step. Doing fatal damage to something this large would take serious power or a lot of effort.

African elephants are smaller, but they enjoy the same advantages in the present. They have huge bodies with thick layers of skin, and it requires a great amount of effort to deal fatal damage to an adult elephant. Yet, these large trumpeting beasts also have the benefit of being able to run at 25 mph to put distance between them and other animals or to start an attack.

The two animals are tied for defense.

Largest Rhino Ever vs. African Elephant: Offensive Capabilities

The African elephant has several methods of attack. First, it can use its speed and body weight to charge and knock over enemies. Otherwise, it can simply stomp on its predators to do serious harm to them. Of course, if the elephant has tusks, it can use the long, heavy ivory spears to impale foes and instantly cause fatal wounds.

The largest rhino ever relied on its size alone to dissuade any would-be predators. They probably used their powerful legs to stomp on anything that got too close to them. They also had a very long neck, but we don’t know if they used it as a giraffe does to slam into foes.

Either way, the African elephant has an offensive advantage in this fight.

The African elephant has an offensive advantage

The African elephant has an offensive advantage in this fight because of its size, speed and spear-like tusks.

©Millie Bond – Copyright A-Z Animals

Largest Rhino Ever vs. African Elephant: Predatory Behavior

Neither the largest rhino ever nor the African elephant has predatory behavior. They’re both herbivores. Yet, we do know that the elephant is not a meek creature. If something comes close to the elephant’s herd or its young, then it will charge the animal, human, or vehicle to make them change course or face severe injuries.

The African elephant has an advantage in predatory behavior.

Who Would Win in a Fight Between the Largest Rhino Ever and an African Elephant?

The largest rhino ever would win a fight against an African elephant. The size difference between the largest rhino ever and an African elephant is too significant for the elephant to think about fighting the Paraceratherium.

For one thing, the elephant probably would avoid all conflict with the larger creature. For another, the elephant would be unable to do enough damage to the largest rhino ever unless it landed a very powerful, lucky shot with its tusks. However, that does not seem very likely.

Instead, the fight would be the two ramming into each other in an attempt to knock each other over and then stomp on them until one of them dies or gives up. Given the size disparity and the probable strength disparity, we have no reason to think that the African elephant would emerge victorious.

Instead, the largest rhino ever would eventually wear out the elephant and knock it down. At that point, the elephant would either get up and run or get stomped on by the larger, heavier, more powerful creature. Again, these two creatures are very large herbivores, so they would probably simply avoid each other rather than start a fight.

The largest rhino ever would win a fight against an African elephant

The largest rhino ever would win a fight against an African elephant due to its enormous size advantage.

©iStock.com/CoreyFord

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About the Author

Kyle Glatz is a writer at A-Z-Animals where his primary focus is on geography and mammals. Kyle has been writing for researching and writing about animals and numerous other topics for 10 years, and he holds a Bachelor's Degree in English and Education from Rowan University. A resident of New Jersey, Kyle enjoys reading, writing, and playing video games.

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Sources
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  2. University of Wisconsin, Available here: http://bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio203/s2007/shah_rach/
  3. Oxford Academic, Available here: https://academic.oup.com/zoolinnean/article-abstract/108/1/85/2725453?redirectedFrom=fulltext&login=false
  4. Haarsma Anne-Jifke, Siepel Henk, Gravendeel Barbara, Added value of metabarcoding combined with microscopy for evolutionary studies of mammals, Zoologica Scripta, Available here: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/zsc.12214