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are now only five species of Rhinoceroses and all are on the verge of
extinction. The White or Square-lipped Rhino and the Black or Hook-lipped
Rhino of Africa, the Great Indian Rhino, the Javan and the Sumatran Rhino
of Asia. Rhinoceroses are bulky animals, yet their trot and gallop are powerful and elastic.
An immense solid body and short stocky legs. The thick skin appears to
lie in folds but is creased at the joints, and serves as an armour in
fighting and when moving through thorny thickets. The skin of the Indian and Javan Rhino's are sprinkled
with knobs, hanging in such definite folds that the animal looks as though
it were wearing an armour plate of a medieval warrior. Most species have
little hair. Depending on the species the Rhino has one or two slightly curving horns that project
from its long nose. The horns continue to grow throughout its life, consisting
of a fibrelike material similar to a mixture of hair and fingernails.
It appears to be permanently joined to the Rhino's nose but can be torn out during fighting.
The animal has three toes on each foot, each toe ending in a separate
hoof. On each front foot is a fourth toe that is no longer used. The White
Rhino is the heaviest land mammal with the exception of the elephant, weighing up to 3,000 kg and
up to 1.8m tall. Short sighted, they head wildly at whatever their keen
hearing and sense of smell detect as a threat. All species can cope with
very rough country, and can climb steep and slippery slopes. The Black
and White Rhinos prefer country with dense thickets where they can rest
during the day. They need to drink and eat salt regularly and often wallow
in mud to cool their bodies and protect their hides from insects. All
Rhinos like to rest in the water after drinking. The Asian Rhinos are
found in forested hills and can cross deep morasses, and live in marshy
jungles among reeds and tall grass. The Rhino eats grass, leafy twigs,
and scrubs.
The
growth and spread of the human population has destroyed much of the
Rhinoceroses habitat. Its horns have made the Rhino the victim of hunters
and poachers who sell their skin, and horns for prized dagger handles
in the Yemen and for traditional medicines in the Far East. Some people
believe the powered horn to have magical powers. For these reasons,
thousands of Rhinos have been needlessly killed.
Lost City Collection
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