• Key Information

  • Rhinoceroses

  • Species
    5, Ceratotherium simum, Dicerorhinus sumatrensis, Rhinoceros unicornis, Diceros bicornis, Rhinoceros sondaicus
  • Diet
    Herbivore
  • Length
    11 to 15 ft
  • Height
    5.9 to 6.6 ft
  • Weight
    4,000 to 5,000 lb
  • Lifespan
    Varies from around 40 to 60 years
  • Classification
    Mammalia > Perissodactyla > Rhinocerotidae
  • Conservation Status
    Some Near Threatened, others Critically Endangered
  • Habitat
    Forests and savannahs
  • Learning Point
  • The rhinoceros is one of the most endangered of the large animals, with many of the species close to extinction. Their beautiful horns have made them a target for poaching where people kill them to cut off their horn and sell it for medicine.
  • Project
  • Draw a rhinoceros.
  • Location
  • Places
    Africa and Asia
  • Fun Facts
  • The name Rhinoceros comes from two Greek words: "rhino" and "keras" which mean "nose horn".
  • There are several subspecies of most of the species of rhinoceros, with the northern white rhinoceros so endangered there might be only two left, both of which are in a zoo.
  • The Sumatran rhinoceros is the smallest species alive today, and has the most hair. It is thought to be the most similar to the Woolly Rhinoceros (Coelodonta).
  • Every year, hundreds of rhinoceroses are poached (killed illegally) so that their horn can be cut off and sold for use in traditional Chinese medicine.
  • Paraceratherium is a prehistoric animal that is closely related to the rhinoceros. It was a huge animal and had no horn.