![]() The Sumatran rhino, despite being the smallest rhino, is actually the hairiest of the species, and is reddish-brown in color.ĭespite their names, the black and white rhinos are actually the same color - brownish grey! It is unclear how the white rhino came to be named. The greater one horned rhino also has a small, prehensile lip, different from other rhino species. The Indian rhino has a gray-brown hide with skin folds that give it an armor-plated appearance, which looks similar to the Javan rhino, although the Javan rhino has a much smaller head, and has less apparent skin folds. Male rhinos are usually larger than female rhinos. They can weigh around 5,000 lbs (2,300 kilograms)! The smallest rhino is the Sumatran rhino and usually grows to about 8 to 10 feet (2.5 to 3 m) long and up to 4.8 feet (1.5 m) from hoof to shoulder. The largest rhino is the white rhino, and can grow up to 12 to 13 feet (3.7 to 4 meters) long and up to 6 feet (1.8 m) from hoof to shoulder. Rhinos are the second largest land animal, behind only the elephant. They have very thick legs, like tree trunks, and are mostly thought to move slowly - however, they can run at nearly 40 miles an hour when needed (64 kilometers per hour)! They also have a short tail. Rhinos are very large animals and, while all species differ slightly, they share common characteristics such as one or two horns, a broad chest, thick skin, poor eyesight and excellent hearing. The word “rhinoceros” comes from the Greek “rhino” (nose) and “ceros” (horn). The white and black rhinos live in Africa, while the greater one horned rhino, the Javan rhino and the Sumatran rhino live in Asia. There are two subspecies of the White Rhino (the Southern White and the Northern White), four subspecies of the Black Rhino (the South-Central Rhino, the South-Western Rhino, the East African Rhino and the West African Rhino), and three subspecies of the Sumatran Rhino (the Sumatran Rhinoceros Proper, the Bornean Rhinoceros and the possibly extinct Northern Sumatran Rhinoceros). However, within these species, there are further subspecies of rhino. ![]() There have been to close to 100 known species of rhino, but now only five species remain. The rhino is one of the oldest groups of mammals that once roamed throughout Asia and Africa, and their population was thought to be around half a million at the beginning of the 20th century. Keep reading on to find out more about these interesting animals and learn some cool rhino facts. Conservation efforts have prevented the surviving species from disappearing, but hunting by humans is their biggest threat. Unfortunately, the rhino is an endangered animal, with some species already extinct. Two of these species live in Africa, and two live in Asia. There are five remaining species of rhino, which are the White Rhinoceros, the Black Rhinoceros, the Greater One Horned Rhinoceros (also known as the Indian Rhinoceros), the Javan Rhinoceros and the Sumatran Rhinoceros. Perissodactyl are herbivores which means they do not eat meat, they only eat vegetation, plants and grasses. ![]() The word ‘perissodactyl’ comes from the Greek language and means ‘odd-number finger or toe’. Sub-order Hippomorpha: Family Equildae – horses, zebra and asses Sub-order Ceratomorpha: Family Tapiridae – tapirs, Family Rhinocerotidae – rhinoceroses Perissodactyls are divided into 2 suborders, 3 families and 15 species which include: Horses and zebras are also members of this species, however, they are divided up again into sub-orders as you can see below: Rhinoceroses carry their main weight on the middle toe of each foot. ‘Odd toed ungulates’ are animals that have hoofs but have a reduced number of toes (usually 3 toes). Rhinoceroses belong to the family Rhinocerotidae and belong to the order Perissodactyla, (perissodactls) which means ‘odd toed ungulates’. Grey or brown in color, these animals are unique in their appearance. The Rhinoceros, or Rhino for short, is one of the largest remaining megafauna, with all species known to weigh one ton or more. ![]()
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