Fauna

RHINOCEROS

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     A rhinoceros, from Greek rhinokeros, meaning 'nose-horned', from rhinos, meaning 'nose', and keratos, meaning 'horn'), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is one of any five extant species of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae, as well as any of the numerous extinct species.

     Members of the rhinoceros family are some of the largest remaining megafauna, with all species able to reach or exceed one tonne in weight. They have a herbivorous diet, small brains (400–600 g) for mammals of their size, one or two horns, and a thick (1.5–5 cm) protective skin. They generally eat leafy material. Unlike other perissodactyls, the two African species of rhinoceros lack teeth at the front of their mouths, relying instead on their lips to pluck food.

     Rhinoceros are killed by humans for their horns, which are bought and sold on the black market, and used by some cultures for ornaments or traditional medicine. East Asia, specifically Vietnam, is the largest market for rhino horns. By weight, rhino horns cost as much as gold on the black market. People grind up the horns and consume them, believing the dust has therapeutic properties.The horns are made of keratin, the same type of protein that makes up hair and fingernails.Both African species and the Sumatran rhinoceros have two horns, while the Indian and Javan rhinoceros have a single horn. The IUCN Red List identifies the Black, Javan, and Sumatran rhinoceros as critically endangered.

     This is Scientific classification of rhinoceros :

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Perissodactyla
Superfamily:	Rhinocerotoidea
Family:	Rhinocerotidae

Rhino has the characteristics:

1. Big size.
2. It can weigh more than a ton.
3. One or two horns on the center of the forehead. If it is two, one is in front of the other (not side by side).
4. Includes animal herbivores
5. Skin with a thickness ranging from 1.5 to 5 cm formed from collagen layer.
6. Has a sharp sense of hearing and smell, but can not see far.
7. Most rhinoceros can live beyond 40 years.

     Although it is a herbivore, rhinoceros is a dangerous animal. In India and Nepal, rhinoceros is the leading cause of human death, exceeding that amount caused by tigers and leopards. Rhino even known to have attacked the elephant carrier of tourists.