White Rhinos
Kenya, Africa
The white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum) is the largest extant species of rhinoceros and the most social. It is characterized by its wide mouth that is adapted for grazing. They are large animals with barrel-shaped bodies and immense heads. Bulls average 2,000–2,300 kg (4,410–5,070 lb), compared to cows, which average about 1,600–1,700 kg (3,530–3,750 lb).
Of course they are famous for their large “horns”, having two permanent horn-like structures on their snouts. But they are not true horns, as those would surround encased bone. Rhino “horns” are solid masses of densely compacted keratin fibers, which is the same protein that forms human hair and fingernails, and as such they are worthless from a medicinal standpoint. A single horn can weigh around 4.0 kg (8.8 lb), but some can be much large as seen here. The largest white rhino horn on record was 59 inches (150 cm) long and came from a white rhino in South Africa.
Photo © copyright by Dr. Edward Mikol.
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