The white rhinoceros is the largest of the extant species of rhinoceros. There are two subspecies of white rhinoceros: the southern white and the northern white. The southern white rhinoceros has about 20,000 members living in the wild. The northern white has only 3 left living in captivity.

For the most part, the white rhinoceros is grey and not white. It is distinguished from the black rhinoceros by it’s wide, square lip. The black rhino has a pointy lip. Rhinos in general have an extremely keen sense of smell. It’s olfactory passages, which are responsible for smell, are larger than its brain.

They inhabit the grassland and savannah habitats, grazing on grass. If available, it will drink water twice a day. If not, it can survive 4 or 5 days without water. They spend up to half the day eating, a third resting, and the rest of the day doing other things like wallowing in mud holes to keep cool.

The white rhinoceros lives in herds, or crashes of up to 14 mostly female members. The dominant male will vigorously defend his territory by urine spraying and laying well-defined dung patties. It will also scrape mark with its horn.