Article
Article
Rhinoceros
Article By:
Linzey, Donald W. Wytheville Community College, Wytheville, Virginia.
Last reviewed:September 2021
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.586600
An odd-toed ungulate (order Perissodactyla) belonging to the family Rhinocerotidae. Rhinoceroses (commonly called rhinos) are odd-toed ungulates (hoofed mammals) assigned to the order Perissodactyla. The bodies and limbs of rhinoceroses are massive and thick-skinned (see illustration). Also characteristic of these mammals are the horns (epidermal derivatives), of which there may be one or two, composed of a solid mass of hairs attached to a bony prominence on the skull. The feet are tridactyl, with three hooves; the middle hoof is the most developed. Five species of rhinoceros are found in Asia and Africa (see table). See also: Mammalia; Perissodactyla
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