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A southern white rhinoceros with two horns standing in dry bush.
Photo: Prosthetic Head, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Southern White Rhinoceros

Ceratotherium simum simum

The largest rhino, a wide-lipped grass grazer of southern Africa that came back from near extinction to about 20,000 animals.

🦓 Hoofed Mammals
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About the Southern White Rhinoceros

Southern white rhinos live in grassy savannas of middle and southern Africa, mostly in South Africa. They are the largest rhinos, up to 6 feet tall and 6,000 pounds. Their wide, square upper lip lets them graze on short grass. The name "white" comes from an Afrikaans word meaning "wide." White rhinos are the most social rhinos, and calves stay with their mothers until the next calf is born.[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name
Ceratotherium simum simum[1]
Size
Up to 6 feet tall at the shoulder. Front horn averages 35 inches, up to 60.[1]
Weight
Up to 6,000 pounds.[1]
Lifespan
40 to 50 years.[1]
Diet
Herbivore. A grazer that eats short grasses.[1]
Habitat
Grassland savannas.[1]
Where it lives
Middle and southern Africa, mostly South Africa.[1]
Group life
The most social rhino. Dominant males are usually solitary.[1]
Babies
One calf after about 16 months. Calves are weaned at 1 to 2 years.[1]
Conservation status
Near Threatened (IUCN Red List, assessed 2020).[2]

Fun facts

  • "White" rhino comes from an Afrikaans word meaning "wide," for its wide lips.[1]
  • White rhinos are the largest of all rhinos.[1]
  • The southern white rhino came back from near extinction to about 20,000 animals.[1]
  • Only two northern white rhinos are left, both female.[1]

Vocabulary

graze
To feed on grass growing in a field.
Afrikaans
A language spoken in South Africa and Namibia.
poaching
Hunting or capturing animals illegally.
functionally extinct
So few left that the species can no longer survive on its own.
near threatened
A conservation label meaning a species may become threatened soon.

See it in person

Sources

  1. [1] Zoo Atlanta. “Southern White Rhinoceros.” https://zooatlanta.org/animal/southern-white-rhinoceros/ (accessed 2026-10-02)
  2. [2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Ceratotherium simum ssp. simum (Southern White Rhinoceros).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/39317/45814320 (accessed 2026-10-02)

Facts last checked 2026-10-02.

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