Rhinoceros (genus)


Rhinoceros is a genus comprising one-horned rhinoceroses. This scientific name was proposed by Carl Linnaeus in 1758. The genus contains two species, the Indian rhinoceros and the Javan rhinoceros. Although both members are endangered, the Javan rhinoceros is one of the most endangered large mammals in the world with only 60 individuals surviving in Java. A fossil jawbone of an extinct species, Rhinoceros philippinensis, was found in the Philippines. The word 'rhinoceros' is of Greek origin meaning "nose-horn".

Classification

The genus Rhinoceros comprises:
The genus name Rhinoceros is a combination of the ancient Greek words ῥίς meaning 'nose' and κέρας meaning 'horn of an animal'.