Fact File: Rhinos

Find out some fun facts about rhinos with Steve and Aneeshwar. You can learn what they use their horns for, how they keep clean and why they love mud!

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Where does the name ‘rhino’ come from?

The name 'rhino' is actually short for 'rhinoceros'.��The word 'rhinoceros' comes from the Greek words rhino meaning 'nose' and ceros meaning 'horn'.

What do rhinos use their horns for?

Rhinos most notable feature is the horn on the front of their head. They use their horn to intimidate other rhinos and defend themselves from predators.

An image of a rhino's head digging a hole in the dirt with its horn.

What is a rhinos horn made of?

Rhino horn is made up of keratin which is the same protein as our hair and nails, and much like them, their horns continue to grow.

An image of a rhino and its calf with their backs to camera walking along a dirt road.

How heavy are rhinos?

Their weights can vary depending on species. The largest species is the white rhino, with males weighing up to 2,500kg.��

An image of Steve stood next to Aneeshwar, behind them is a rhino enclosure. Steve has mud on his hand.

How many species of rhino are there?

There are five species of rhino in the world -��White, Black, Indian, Javan, and Sumatran.

A baby rhino is having a mud bath, a larger rhino is behind it in the same mud bath.

What do rhinos like to do?

Rhinos love mud baths because it makes a protective 'mud coat’��that keeps their skin nice and cool but also helps protect their skin from the sun.��

Does mud help rhinos in any other ways?

When the mud dries rhinos rub it off and it helps remove any dead skin - so the mud actually helps to keep the rhinos clean and keep their skin nice and healthy.

A closeup of a rhinos head, sat on its horn is an oxpecker bird that is preening the rhino.

How else do rhinos keep clean?

Rhinos are friends with a bird call an oxpecker who help keep rhinos clean by picking off small bugs from the rhino's skin. The rhino gets a clean and the oxpecker gets a tasty snack.