the four still today living types of the rhinoceroses is only one vanishing remainder of an once diverse and widespread animal-group like the living tapirs.
Tribal-history Already at beginning of the Tertiärs, the first real rhinoceroses lived. 40 million years ago, there were predecessors of the Sumatra-rhinoceros, and the predecessors of the tank-rhinoceros already were widespread in the second half of the Tertiärs. Broadly it is to be said that however, the four types of the still today living rhinoceroses (width-lip-rhinoceros, pointed-lip-rhinoceros, tank-rhinoceros, Sumatra-rhinoceros) are not far too narrowly together relative, therefore earn the systematic status not at all approximately as it is valid between Asian and African elephants.
Shape Rhinoceroses are from penetrated shape, with a shoulder-height between one and two meters. At the big, heavy head serves a sentence or two not with the bone of healed horns over the bridge.
Contrary to an earlier widespread opinion, these horns don't consist of deformed hair but rather resembles the horn of the horse-hooves in its structure. Microscopic pictures show namely that the individual fibers of the horn, that one held for hair earlier, are not surrounded by a protection-film how this is typical for hair. In its layer-structure, the horn of the rhinoceroses resembles neither the hair nor the horn of the ruminants. Since no solid connection between horn and bridge exists, the horns break off easily, is also reproduced again relatively fast with not yet to old animals, however.
Beside a very bad face-sense, the rhinoceroses have an excellent sense of smell and a good hearing-fortune at their disposal. The ears are rather big in order to guarantee this and at its root well movable.
The massive torso rests on short, stocky limbs, that finish in three-toe-y feet. As Spitzengänger, the animals incriminate the middle toe mainly, that is increased accordingly. All toes are busy with wide nails. The together deformed toe-bales are protected by an elastic sole from strong horn-layer. The almost heel-long tail is curled carried in arousal after upward. The sparsely hairy or usually bare skin is strong and wrinkled and either smooth or with rivet-good horn-backs equipped (tank-rhinoceros).
Relationship The four types, of which that of the tank-rhinoceroses apportions (Java-rhinoceros) in two types, live in Africa (width-lips -, pointed-lip-rhinoceros) with two types (to one type each); the rest lives in south and southeast-Asia.
Continuance Hardly a group of big game-animals is in its totality like the family of the rhinoceroses threatened so. Since the human being hunts animals, also rhinoceroses are among its loot. Less than meat-suppliers, these second-biggest country-mammals attained a sad meaning but in various mystic and superstitious sense.
The fact that horrende prices are paid again and again for the horn of these animals leaves professional poachers - despite sharpest protection-regulations - still hunt rhinoceroses. Although the gamekeepers proceed against poachers massively in many African countries, these rhinoceroses kill where they can always find which. New examinations could confirm the alleged miracle-strengths of the rhinoceros-horn in no way incidentally. Thousand of rhinoceroses therefore died a not only sad but extremely pointless death - and many will still suffer this death in future. If one wants to protect the animals from the threatening extinction, one can therefore not spurn also uncommon methods, if they then promise success. Also a world-wide enlightenment-campaign could be meaningfully.
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