rhinoceros
Sign in to saveA rhinoceros ( ; ; ; : rhinoceros or rhinoceroses), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates (perissodactyls) in the family Rhinocerotidae. It is the only living family in the superfamily Rhinocerotoidea (whose members are also sometimes called rhinoceroses). Two of the extant species are native to Africa, and three to South and Southeast Asia.
AI overview
A rhinoceros is a large odd-toed hoofed animal belonging to one of five species alive today, with two species native to Africa and three to South and Southeast Asia. Rhinoceroses are the only living members of their family, Rhinocerotidae, making them a distinctive group of mammals with a unique evolutionary lineage.
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Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- taxon
- Parent taxon
- Rhinocerotoidea
- Image
- Waterberg Nashorn1.jpg
Show 5 more facts
- P105
Article
28 sectionsContents
- Taxonomy and naming
- Description
- Behaviour and ecology
- Extant species
- White
- Black
- Indian
- Javan
- Sumatran
- Evolution
- Subfamilies and genera
- Predators, poaching and hunting
- Horn use
- Horn trade
- Conservation
- Ways to prevent poaching
- Horn removal
- Horn poisoning
- Artificial substitute for rhinoceros horn
- Historical representations
- See also
- Conservation
- Individual rhinoceroses
- Literature
- Other
- References
- Further reading
- External links
A rhinoceros ( ; ; ; : rhinoceros or rhinoceroses), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates (perissodactyls) in the family Rhinocerotidae. It is the only living family in the superfamily Rhinocerotoidea (whose members are also sometimes called rhinoceroses). 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 over half a tonne in adulthood. They have a herbivorous diet, small brains for mammals of their size, one or two horns, and a thick , 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.