Rhinoceroses
The rhinoceros, often abbreviated as rhino, is a group of five extant species of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. Two of these species are native to Africa and three to Southern Asia. Members of the rhinoceros family are characterized by their large size (they are some of the largest remaining megafauna, with all of the species able to reach one tonne or more in weight); as well as by an herbivorous diet; a thick protective skin, 1.5–5 cm thick, formed from layers of collagen positioned in a lattice structure; relatively small brains for mammals this size (400–600 g); and a large horn.
Quotes
[edit]- If ever you meet a rhinoceros
And a tree be in sight,
Climb quick! for his might
Is a match for the gods: he could toss Eros!- Robert Browning, The Rhinoceros
- Written impromptu when challenged to find a rhyme for "rhinoceros" [1]
- Did you ever see the Rhinoceros, and the Hippopotamus, at the Zoological Gardens, trying to dance a minuet together? It is a touching sight.
- Lewis Carroll, A Selection from the Letters of Lewis Carroll to his Child-Friends (1933) edited by Evelyn M. Hatch, Letter to Gaynor Simpson (27 December 1873), p. 91
- Pity the poor old rhino with
A bodger on its bonce.- Michael Flanders, The Rhinoceros
- Keith Sommerville’s new book, “Africa’s Threatened Rhinos: A History of Exploitation and Conservation” (London: Pelagic Publishing, 2025), is a sweeping chronicle of centuries of slaughter. He reminds us that rhinos have been killed for every conceivable reason or unreason. Early indigenous hunters obtained meat and leather. Taken to the circuses by the Romans, they were killed by gladiators. Sport, with American President Theodore Roosevelt alone killing hundreds. Yemeni dagger culture, where only a rhino-horn handle confers respect. And most devastatingly, Chinese medicine has transformed horn powder into a panacea for everything from fever to cancer.
…As animal lovers, Rosita [Šorytė] and I dream of a time when rhinos will no longer need to be dehorned to survive. Sommerville’s book reminds us that conservation is not only about protecting animals—it is about confronting corruption, dismantling myths, and exposing the cynical bureaucrats who profit from extinction.- Massimo Introvigne, "Africa, Not Even Rhinos Are Safe from Chinese Neo-Colonialism", Bitter Winter (February 27, 2026)
- Compiler's Note: Not to mention the exploitation of the white lion.
- The rhino is a homely beast,
For human eyes he's not a feast.
Farwell, farewell, you old rhinoceros,
I'll stare at something less prepoceros.- Ogden Nash, The Rhinoceros
