The white rhino - Ceratotherium simum
The black rhino - Diceros bicornis

Two rhino species are found in Africa, namely the square-lipped white rhino (Ceratotherium simum) and the hook-lipped black rhino(Diceros bicornis).

The major differences between the two species are the following: The white rhino has a square upper lip used for grazing while the black rhino has a prehensile, hook-shaped upper lip enabling it to strip the leaves off trees and shrubs. The latter can also be distinguished by its smaller size and the absence of a nuchal (neck) hump present in the white rhino. Although the white rhino is the larger of the two species, it is more placid and therefore less dangerous than its bad-tempered cousin.

An interesting difference between the species is that the calf of the white rhino usually precedes its mother when walking, while the black rhino calf follows after its mother. Both species have very poor eyesight, compensated for by their acute sense of hearing and smell. When running, the white rhino holds its head near to the ground, unlike the black rhino which runs with its head held high. During the mating season the males of both species will put up a good fight for the females. Battles between the males can be very fierce and are sometimes fatal. Black rhinos are territorial and therefore very vulnerable to poaching.

Rhino species worldwide are, or have been, on the brink of extinction due to the value of their horns. Strict conservation measures in southern Africa have reversed this unfortunate situation to a great extent. The high value attached to rhino horn results from the supposed medicinal qualities of the powdered horn according to traditions in in the Far East. High prices are also paid by wealthy Yemenis for the horn which is used to carve the ornate handles of ceremonial daggers. The horn consists of a tight, hard mass of tubular filaments, similar to hair, and is an outgrowth of the skin which is not attached to the bone of the skull. Both species have two tandem horns.