8 Interesting facts you probably didn’t know about rhinos

Most people know that a white rhino is most certainly not white, and neither is the black rhino really black. Here are some interesting facts about these endangered animals.

• It’s not all black and white

There are actually five surviving species of rhino, namely the greater one-horned, white, black, Javan and Sumatran. The latter three are critically endangered.

• Horns are similar to compressed hair

Horns are not made of bone, as many believe, but keratin, which is the same substance as hair and nails. People who ingest rhino horns for their so-called medicinal properties might as well be chewing their own nails.

• The rhino and horse are cousins

The rhino’s closest surviving relatives are the horse, zebra and tapir (the latter found mostly in South America). Scientists group these species together based on their odd-numbered toes (rhinos have three toes on each foot, while zebras and horses have only one – the hoof).

• A group of rhinos is called a crash.

Like a group of dolphins is called a pod and a group of crows is called a murder, similarly you get a crash of rhino.

• An adult rhino can produce more than 20kg of dung every day.

A crash of rhino usually defecates (or poos) in the same spot – the pile is called a midden. Each adult produces more than 20kg of faeces every day and rhino can travel in groups of about 20. You do the math.

• A white rhino is the second largest terrestrial mammal.

Weighing in at more than two tons, the only creature larger than a white rhino is the elephant.

• There used to be more then 60 species of rhino in the world.

Palaeontologists believe there used to be a wide variety of rhino scattered over Asia, Africa and North America.

• Humans are not the species’ only predator.

In Africa, a lion can take down a baby rhino, and in Asia, a tiger.

Adapted from www.rhinos.org