Black rhinoceros
Amazing fact
Black rhinoceroses roll in mud to cool their bodies when it is hot.
University of Michigan Animal Diversity Web
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An illustration based on the real animal.
A little discovery to share.
Black rhinoceroses roll in mud to cool their bodies when it is hot.
THE REAL WORLD
The real Black rhinoceros
- Scientific name
- Diceros bicornis
- Japanese name
- クロサイ
- Group
- Land mammals
- Class
- Mammalia
- Order
- Perissodactyla
- Family
- Rhinocerotidae
- Genus
- Diceros
This page covers the black rhinoceros as a species; those in Kenya, Tanzania and nearby areas are classed as the subspecies eastern black rhinoceros.
It is a rhinoceros that lives in many kinds of places in Africa, from deserts to grasslands and forests.
It uses its horns to threaten rivals and enemies. The horns are made of hardened skin and keep growing as long as it lives.
It grabs plants with its grasping upper lip and guides them into its mouth, eating twigs, shrubs, grass and more.
How the Black rhinoceros lives
They eat and drink in the morning and evening, and are less active in the middle of the day. They break or knock down plants with their horns to reach higher branches. They typically live alone, while females stay with their young offspring.
University of Michigan Animal Diversity WebBasic data
- Size
- Head and body length: 3–3.8 mShoulder height: 1.4–1.7 m上野動物園
- Weight
- 800–1,350 kg上野動物園
- Lifespan
- 30–35 years in the wild, 30–45 years in captivityUniversity of Michigan Animal Diversity Web
- Active
- By day (diurnal)University of Michigan Animal Diversity Web
- Diet
- Leaves and branches, among other plant material上野動物園
- Range
- Eastern and northern Kenya and northern Tanzania上野動物園
Where the Black rhinoceros has been recorded
Records: GBIF.org (CC0 and CC BY 4.0 records, retrieved 2026-11-07). Map: Natural EarthSee the records on GBIF
Watch wild animals from a distance. Do not touch or feed them, and take care of the places where they live.
Names around the world
- 日本語
- クロサイ
- 简体中文
- 黑犀
- 繁體中文
- 黑犀
- 한국어
- 검은코뿔소
- Español
- Rinoceronte Negro
- Français
- Rhinocéros noir
- Deutsch
- Spitzmaulnashorn
- Português (Brasil)
- Rinoceronte-negro
- Italiano
- Rinoceronte nero
- العربية
- وحيد القرن الأسود
- Bahasa Indonesia
- Badak hitam
- Tiếng Việt
- Tê giác đen
- Русский
- Чёрный носорог
- Türkçe
- Kara gergedan
- ไทย
- แรดดำ
- বাংলা
- কালো গণ্ডার
Names come from Wikidata and iNaturalist records. Where a language has no recorded name, we use the scientific name.
Sources and how we check
- 上野動物園 — クロサイ（ヒガシクロサイ）Checked: 2026-11-03
- University of Michigan Animal Diversity Web — Diceros bicornisChecked: 2026-11-03
We check each fact against its source. The illustrations simplify how the real animal looks.
The classification (class, order, family, genus) follows Wikidata records, checked against GBIF. Classifications can change as research goes on.
The basic data are the values given in each source. They vary with how the animal is measured, whether it is male or female, and whether it lives in the wild or in captivity.
This page was translated from the original Japanese with the help of AI.
Report a mistakeWhen you meet the Black rhinoceros, look for this
- Look for the trumpet-shaped ears moving independently.
Animals do different things from day to day, so you may not always see this.
上野動物園EXHIBIT INFORMATION
Places that keep or show the Black rhinoceros
Zoos, aquariums and other places whose official websites say they keep or show this animal.
Displays can change with the animals’ health and the seasons. Check each facility’s official website before you go.
RELATIVES
Others in Rhinocerotidae
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