Rhinos

Living Tanks on Turbo

A charging rhino is a three-ton fortress moving at 30 miles (48 kilometers) per hour. Rhinos look like slow, heavy, armor-plated dinosaurs, but they are agile enough to turn on a dime and sprint in explosive bursts. There are five species of rhinos left in the world, living in Africa and Asia, and every single one is built like a tank.

Fingernail Horns

The rhino’s most famous feature is its horn (or two horns, depending on the species). While it looks like solid bone, it is made of keratin (the same protein that makes up your own fingernails and hair). Because it is not bone, a rhino’s horn is not attached to its skull. It is packed tightly together like super-glued hair, and it grows continuously throughout the rhino’s life. If a rhino chips or loses its horn in a fight, the horn can grow back over time.

Mud, Sunscreen, and Bird Alarms

Rhinos have skin that is up to two inches (five centimeters) thick, but it is sensitive enough to feel a single bug bite. They get sunburned just like humans do. To protect themselves, rhinos roll in thick mud. Once the mud dries, it acts as a natural sunblock and a shield against biting flies.

But mud isn’t their only defense. Rhinos have terrible eyesight—they cannot see a person standing still just 100 feet (30 meters) away. To make up for this, they team up with little birds called oxpeckers. These birds ride on the rhino’s back, eating ticks and pests. The birds get a free, all-you-can-eat buffet, and the rhino gets a personal security guard. If danger approaches, the birds scream and scatter, acting as a flying radar system that warns the giant beast to get ready for action.