Rhinoceros

Rhinocerotidae
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Perissodactyla Family: Rhinocerotidae
Genera and Species
Diceros bicornis Black Rhinoceros Ceratotherium simum White Rhinoceros Rhinoceros unicornis Indian Rhinoceros Rhinoceros sondaicus Javan Rhinoceros Dicerorhinus sumatrensis Sumatran Rhinoceros

A rhinoceros is one of several species of large mammal living in Africa and Asia. Its main distinguishing characteric is a large horn placed on its nose. The word rhinoceros comes from the Greek words rhino (nose) and keros (horn). Rhinoceros horns, unlike those of other horned mammals, consist of densely compacted hair.

Rhinoceros horns have been used in traditional Asian medicine, and for dagger handles in Yemen and Oman. All rhinoceroses are endangered species. Even after protection was started in 1970s, the populations have declined dramatically. Trade in rhinoceros parts is forbidden under the CITES agreements, but poaching is a severe threat to all rhinoceros species.

There are five species of rhinoceros:

• Black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis), living in Eastern and Southern Africa. Its size is in the same range as the hippopotamus. Both are larger than any other living land animal except the elephant.

• White rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum, also square-lipped rhinoceros), living in the Congo River area and South Africa

• Indian rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis), living in parts of India and Nepal.

• Javan rhinoceros (Rhinoceros sondaicus), living on the Indonesian island of Java, though nearly extinct. It weighs 1500 - 2000 kg (3200 - 4400 lb). According to 2002 estimates, there are about 60 remaining.

• Sumatran rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis), living on the Indonesian island of Sumatra and Borneo.

External links and references

• http://www.rhinos-irf.org/

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Rhinoceros is also the name of a play by Eugène Ionesco; see Rhinoceros (play).