

The best way of telling the black rhino and the white rhino apart is by looking at their mouths.
PICS OF A RHINO SKIN
(Their skin is also usually covered with dry mud, which doesn’t help!) The species can’t reliably be told apart by their color, which varies depending on the soil of the area they inhabit. The same color, in fact, as the white rhino. You might think that black and white rhinos could easily be told apart by their respective colors, but the names are misleading!ĭespite its name, the black rhino is actually grey. The black rhino is smaller than the white rhino, and has less of a hump above its front legs. The white rhino has a wide, flat upper lip. Black Rhino vs White Rhino The best way to tell black and white rhinos apart is by looking at their lips! The black rhino has a beak-shaped pointed upper lip.

The black rhino weighs from 800 to 1,400 kg (1,760 to 3,090 lb.) about the same as a car. However, the black rhino is still one of the largest land animals in the world! It stands 1.4 to 1.8 m (4.6 to 5.9 ft.) high at the shoulder. How Big is the Black Rhino?īoth the white rhino (the largest rhino species) and the Indian rhino are larger than the black rhino. The horns are also used for digging up roots and breaking off bits of foliage to eat. The black rhino uses its horns to defend itself and to attack rivals. Note the beak-shaped lip – the best way of differentiating a black rhino from a white rhino.īoth male and female black rhinos have horns. The horns are made of a natural substance called keratin, the same substance from which our hair and nails are made.

It grows to lengths of 60 cm (24 in), and may be even longer in some individuals. In rare cases, a third, smaller, horn may be present. The black rhino has two horns on its nose. The rhino’s brain is relatively small in comparison to the size of its body. (The black rhino is a member of Perissodactyla, a group of animals also known as odd-toed ungulates.)ĭon’t be deceived by the black rhino’s bulky appearance it is capable of charging at 34 mph (55 km/h). The black rhino’s massive body is held up by four relatively short legs. Weighing as much as a car, with tough, multi-layered skin that is over an inch thick in places, and armed with two formidable horns, it is no surprise that an adult black rhino has no natural predators. Like all rhinos, the black rhino is a large, powerful animal. We’ll take a look at the reasons behind this decline further down the page. Today it is critically endangered, and fighting for its very survival. The three other species (the Indian, Javan and Sumatran rhinos) are found in Asia.įor much of the 20 th century, the black rhino was the most numerous rhino species. There are five species of rhinoceros in total. The black rhinoceros is one of the two rhinoceros species found in Africa, the other being the white rhinoceros. Conservation status: Critically Endangered.Where found: Eastern and Southern Africa.Become an animal expert! Visit our main animals page: Animals: The Ultimate Guide.See more amazing African animals here: African Animals List.You can find pictures, facts and information about many other endangered animals here: Endangered Animals List.Black rhino facts for kids, students and adults. Find out about this critically endangered African rhinoceros, including its habitat, diet, related animals and why it is threatened.īe sure to watch the incredible video of a black rhino chasing a pack of African wild dogs away from a water hole!
