Rhinoceros

What is a rhinoceros? A rhinoceros is a very large grazing animal with a distinctive large horn on its snout.

White rhinoceros

The white rhinoceros is the second largest land animal (elephants are bigger, hippopotami are slightly smaller).

They can weigh 4t and be 4m long and 2m tall. They have a pair of horns, but one is far larger than the other, being about 60cm long.

Despite its weight and bulk, the white rhinoceros is quick and agile and can run 50kmh (30mph).

They do not have very good eyesight, and primarily rely on their very good sense of smell.

They have stump-like feet with three toes.

They can survive for several days without drinking - a useful adaptation in a land where water supplies can be few and far between.

White rhinoceroses live in herds of a dozen or more cows and babies. Males (bulls) often live alone.

White rhinoceroses are an endangered species due to being murdered by poachers who want their horns to sell to East Asian markets.

Video: rhinoceros.

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