Rhinoceros

Rhinoceros in South Africa

A rhinoceros commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. (It can also refer to a member of any of the extinct species of the superfamily Rhinocerotoidea.) Two of the extant species are native to Africa, and three to South and Southeast Asia.

Rhinoceroses are some of the largest remaining megafauna: all weigh at least one tonne in adulthood. They have a herbivorous diet, small brains 400–600 g (14–21 oz) for mammals of their size, one or two horns, and a thick 1.5–5 cm (0.59–1.97 in), protective skin formed from layers of collagen positioned in a lattice structure. They generally eat leafy material, although their ability to ferment food in their hindgut allows them to subsist on more fibrous plant matter when necessary. Unlike other perissodactyls, the two African species of rhinoceros lack teeth at the front of their mouths; they rely instead on their lips to pluck food.

Taxonomy and classification

The family Rhinocerotidae consists of five extant species, all of which belong to the same genus, Rhinoceros. These species are:

1. Indian Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) also known as the greater one-horned rhinoceros or the Indian one-horned rhinoceros, is a large herbivorous mammal native to the Indian subcontinent.
2. Javan Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros sondaicus) also known as the lesser one-horned rhinoceros or Sunda rhinoceros, is one of the most critically endangered large mammals in the world.
3. Sumatran Rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis) also known as the hairy rhinoceros or Asian two-horned rhinoceros, is a critically endangered species of rhinoceros.
4. Black Rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis) also known as the hook-lipped rhinoceros, is one of the species of rhinoceros native to Africa.
5. White Rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum) also known as the square-lipped rhinoceros, is one of the two species of rhinoceros native to Africa

Threats to the rhinoceros

• Poaching
• Horn trade - rhinoceros are killed by poachers for their horns, which are bought and sold on the black market for high prices, leading to most living rhinoceros species being considered endangered. The contemporary market for rhino horn is overwhelmingly driven by China and Vietnam, where it is bought by wealthy consumers to use in traditional Chinese medicine, among other uses. Rhino horns are made of keratin, the same material as hair and fingernails, and there is no good evidence of any health benefits. A market also exists for rhino horn dagger handles in Yemen, which was the major source of demand for rhino horn in the 1970s and 1980s.
• Habitat loss
• Low Population Density