The Rhino's

Rhinos or better Rhinoceros (Rhinocerotidae) are family of the big mammals. They live in Africa and Asia and are characterized by the horn on their head (one or two horns, depending on the rhino species).

In the world there are in total 5 rhinoceros species: 2 in Africa and 3 in Asia. The African species are the Black Rhino or Prehensile-Lipped Rhino or Hook-Lipped Rhino (Diceros bicornis) and the White Rhino or Square-Lipped Rhino (Ceratotherium simum). Both living on the African savannah. The Asian species are the Indian Rhino (Rhinoceros unicornis), Javan Rhino (Rhinoceros sondaicus) and the Sumatran Rhino (Rhinoceros sumatrensis).

Historically the Asian rhinos occurred from East-Pakistan to North and East India till South China and distributed throughout Southeast Asian and the islands Sumatra, Borneo and Java. Their spreading area currently is a lot smaller of the same counts for the number of rhinos.

The cause of this reduction is the still very wanted rhino horn. In China they use it in medicines with restoratives power characteristics, but they also make other medicines or knife handles of the horn. An other threat for the rhino is the reduction of their habitat.