How Fast Does a Rhino Run?

All species of rhinoceros are endangered, with three on the very edge of possible extinction. The rhino is a large and lumbering animal with a horn or set of horns on its head above its nose. Rhinos do not look quick but they are surprisingly fast. Unfortunately for them the reasons they run have earned them a reputation at being ill-tempered.

Types

There are five types of rhinos found in nature. The black rhino, the white rhino, the Indian rhino, and the Javan and Sumatran rhinos. Of these five species the white rhino is the most plentiful in the wild, while there may be only 60 Javan rhinos left on Earth and less then 300 Sumatran rhinos.

Size

The white rhino is the largest of the rhino family. It can be 12 feet long and 6 feet tall at the shoulder, with a weight of over 5,000 pounds. The Sumatran rhino is the smallest rhino, 8 to 10 feet in length and maybe 5 feet at the shoulders if it is a tall specimen. They weigh under a ton. Despite its ungainly appearance a rhino can run as fast as 45 miles per hour, but it cannot sustain such a high speed for long distances.

Geography

The white and the black rhino are found in Africa, with South Africa having the greatest number of white rhinos. The Indian rhino used to range throughout the Indian sub-continent but now is confined to regions of Nepal and northeast India. The Javan rhino
can today be found only in rain forests of Vietnam and Indonesia. The Sumatran rhino is located on the large islands of Borneo and Sumatra.

Considerations

Despite their fearsome appearance the rhino is a vegetarian, living on a diet consisting of leaves, grasses, and other plants. All rhinos have thick legs, fine hearing, and terrible eyesight. This poor vision accounts for their being thought of as having a bad temper. When a rhino is startled it will charge whatever has scared it, and it can be caught by surprise due to its being unable to recognize danger as being close by. Being able to run much faster than it looks like it is capable of will often catch whatever is being pursued by surprise. Many a vehicle has been damaged by an angry rhino as it attempts to escape from such a charge.

Misconceptions

White rhinos and black rhinos are both brownish-gray in reality, so the names can be confusing. It has been believed for centuries that the horn of a rhino had mysterious healing powers, leading them to be slaughtered for it. However, the horn has no such medicinal power, being made up of a protein called keratin, the same substance in hair and fingernails. Legends of rhinos stomping out fires have circulated for decades, but such activity has never been documented and is highly unlikely to have any truth to it.