What does a Rhinoceros look like?
Rhinos are best known for their large horns, or horns, located just above the head, near the nose. Some types of rhinoceros have two horns and some have only one. Rhinos are also very large. Some of them can easily weigh over 4000 pounds! Rhinos also have very thick skin. A group of rhinos is called a crash.
What does a Rhinoceros eat?
Rhinos are herbivores, which means they only eat plants. They can eat all kinds of plants depending on what is available. They prefer leaves.
What’s the deal with the Rhinoceros horn?
Rhino horn is made of horn. It’s what makes up your fingernails and toenails. The size of the horns can vary depending on the type of rhinoceros. For example, a typical white rhino horn will grow to about 2 feet long. However, some horns have been known to grow up to almost 5 feet long! Many cultures value horns. It is the hunt for horns that puts rhinos in danger.
Are all Rhinoceros the same?
There are five types of rhinoceros:
Javan Rhino – This rhinoceros species is nearly extinct. It is thought that there are only 60 left in the world. It comes from Indonesia (another name for Java) and Vietnam. Javan rhinos prefer to live in tropical forests or tall grass. They have only one horn, and hunting for that horn almost made the Javan rhinoceros close to extinction.
Sumatran Rhino – As the name suggests, this rhinoceros comes from Sumatra. Because Sumatra is cold, the Sumatran rhinoceros has the most hair of all rhino species. The Sumatran rhinoceros is also the smallest rhinoceros species and has short, stocky legs. It is critically endangered with about 300 remaining worldwide.
Black Rhino – This rhinoceros species comes from Africa. It is not quite black as the name suggests, but a light gray color. Black rhinos can weigh up to 4000 pounds, but they are still smaller than white rhinos. They have two horns and are also critically endangered.
Indian Rhino – Guess where the Indian rhinoceros come from? That’s right, India! Along with the white rhinoceros, the Indian rhinoceros is the largest and can weigh more than 6000 pounds. He has a horn.
White Rhino – The white rhino is native to Africa. Like the black rhinoceros, the white rhino is not actually white, but rather gray. The white rhino is huge and, after elephants, one of the largest land mammals on the planet. It has 2 horns. There are about 14,000 white rhinos left on earth, making them the most populous species of rhinoceros.
Interesting Facts about Rhinoceros
Rhinos may be big, but they can run up to 40 miles an hour. You don’t want to get in the way when a 6,000-pound rhino attacks.
Rhinos love mud because it helps protect their sensitive skin from the sun.
The word rhino comes from the Greek word for nose and horns.
They have good hearing, but poor eyesight.