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What the sources say

Black RhinocerosDiceros bicornis

Every figure, record and mechanism on the Black Rhinoceros profile was written from a source, and this is the working table behind it: 51 claims checked word for word against these sources. The left column is what the page says. The right column is the source's own words, copied, not paraphrased; a ... marks a cut and[brackets] an insertion. Open any source and check it yourself.

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Source
01

San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance Library

Black Rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis) Fact Sheet: Physical Characteristics. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance Library.

The page saysA black rhino weighs 1,000 to 1,800 kilograms, with a body 2.9 to 3.75 meters long and a shoulder height of 1.4 to 1.8 meters.
The source saysBody Weight 1,000 - 1,800 kg (2200 - 3970 lbs) Body Length 2.9 - 3.75 m (114-148 in) ... Shoulder Height 1.4 - 1.8 m (55 - 71 in)Note: SDZWA only; Save the Rhino's 900 - 1,350 kg is not merged in
The page saysIt has no incisors, the front biting teeth.
The source saysNo canines or incisors
The page saysHorns Without Bone
The source saysNo bony core
The page saysThey have no bony core and are not shed.
The source saysNo bony core; not attached to skull; not shed
The page saysStart with the upper lip. A black rhino's is triangular and prehensile, meaning it can grip. A white rhino's is square and can't grip.
The source saysUpper lip triangular-shaped and prehensile ... Upper lip square shaped and not prehensile
The page saysThe white rhino also has a large hump behind its head, and its molars are high-crowned, while the black rhino's are low-crowned.
The source saysNo incisors and low-crowned molars ... No incisors and high crowned molars Upper lip square shaped and not prehensile Large hump behind head

Source
02

Save the Rhino International

Black rhino. Save the Rhino International.

The page saysa recorded top speed of about 34 miles per hour
The source sayshave been recorded at highs of 55 km/hNote: 34 mph is a conversion of the source's 55 km/h
The page saystwo horns that grow from the skin all its life
The source saysblack rhinos have two horns, which grow continually from the skin at their base throughout their life
The page saysSemi-desert savannah, woodlands, forests and wetlands in southern and eastern Africa
The source saysblack rhino occur throughout southern and eastern Africa ... This spans a wide range of habitats in Africa, including semi-desert savannah, woodlands, forests and wetlands
The page saysis a browser that eats trees, bushes and shrubs, unlike the grass-grazing white rhino
The source saysblack rhino are browsers (i.e., they eat trees, bushes and shrubs), compared to their cousins, white rhinos, which are grazersNote: 'grass-grazing' defines grazer for young readers
The page saysToday it lives in southern and eastern Africa, in countries including Kenya, Tanzania, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe.
The source saysblack rhino occur throughout southern and eastern Africa, including Kenya, Tanzania, Namibia, South Africa and ZimbabweNote: current page (news items dated 2026)
The page saysThe clearest way to tell it from a white rhino is its hooked lip; a white rhino's is flat.
The source saysThe most distinguishable characteristic between a black and a white rhino is that black rhinos have a hooked lip, as opposed to a flat-based lip
The page saysBlack rhinos have poor eyesight and cannot easily spot a person standing more than 30 meters away, but their senses of smell and hearing are excellent.
The source saysblack rhinos have poor eyesight, and cannot easily detect an observer standing more than 30 metres away. They do however have an excellent sense of smell and hearing
The page saysBlack rhinos have been recorded at up to 55 kilometers an hour (34 mph).
The source saysblack rhino can move extremely fast and have been recorded at highs of 55 km/hNote: 34 mph is a conversion of 55 km/h
The page saysBoth horns grow continually from the skin at their base throughout a rhino's life.
The source saysblack rhinos have two horns, which grow continually from the skin at their base throughout their life
The page saysEach is made of thousands of compressed hair-like strands of keratin, like the fibers in hair and fingernails.
The source saysThe horn is comprised of thousands of compressed hair-like strands of keratin (like hair and fingernail fibres)
The page saysDepending on the habitat, black rhinos can be solitary and territorial or semi-social.
The source saysblack rhinos can be either solitary and territorial, or semi-social and less aggressively-territorial, depending on the habitat
The page saysAdult males tend to live alone except when courting, and females are usually found only with their latest calf.
The source saysAdult male black rhinos tend to live on their own, except when courting females. ... Females tend to remain solitary, and are usually only found in the presence of their latest calf
The page saysThe BBC's Africa series even filmed a group gathering socially at a waterhole.
The source saysIncredible footage from the recent BBC Africa series recorded a group of black rhinos congregating socially at a waterhole
The page saysRhinos mark their ground by spraying urine, leaving dung piles called middens, and rubbing a scent gland on their skin against a rock or tree.
The source saysUrine spraying is a common form of scent-marking ... Dung piles are also a common scent-mark, known as 'middens' ... black rhinos leave a distinctive scent against a rock or tree by rubbing a scent gland located on their skin
The page saysOxpeckers, birds often seen with rhinos, remove their ticks and raise the alarm when danger approaches.
The source saysred and yellow-billed ox-peckers are often seen with rhino and benefit them by removing ticks and clearing parasites from any open wounds, and also by raising the alarm if there is any danger approachingNote: 'birds' is a plain definition of oxpeckers
The page saysBack From About 2,400
The source saystotal numbers dipping as low as around 2,400
The page saysIn the 19th century, black rhinos numbered several hundred thousand and were hunted relentlessly.
The source saysduring the 19 th century, as European influence over land use and trade strengthened, the black rhino, which was the most numerous rhino species with several hundred thousand animals, was hunted relentlessly across most of Africa
The page saysBy 1970 an estimated 65,000 were left.
The source saysBy 1970 there were an estimated 65,000 animals left.
The page saysPoaching rose through the 1970s and 1980s with demand for rhino horn in Asia and the Middle East, and between 1970 and 1992 numbers fell 96 percent, to as low as around 2,400.
The source sayspoaching pressure escalated during the 1970s and 1980s as a result of the rising demand for rhino horn in Asia and the Middle East. Between 1970 and 1992, the black rhino suffered a 96% reduction in numbers, with total numbers dipping as low as around 2,400
The page saysSave the Rhino now puts the population at 6,788.
The source saysPopulation 6,788Note: Fact File on the current page (news items dated to Aug 2026)
The page saysBlack rhinos live up to 30 to 35 years in the wild and 35 to 45 years or more in captivity.
The source saysblack rhinos live up to 30-35 years in the wild and 35-45+ years in captivity
The page saysSave the Rhino names poaching and a lack of safe habitat as its most significant threats
The source sayspoaching and lack of suitable, safe habitats are the most significant threats
The page saysKeratin. A black rhino's two horns grow continually from the skin at their base throughout its life, like human fingernails.
The source saysblack rhinos have two horns, which grow continually from the skin at their base throughout their life (like human fingernails)
The page saysEach horn is made of thousands of compressed hair-like strands of keratin, which makes it extremely hard and tough, though it can break or split in a fight.
The source saysThe horn is comprised of thousands of compressed hair-like strands of keratin (like hair and fingernail fibres), making it extremely hard and tough, but it can be broken or split during fighting
The page saysThe front horn is longer than the rear one, averaging around 50 centimeters.
The source saysThe front (anterior) horn is longer than the rear (posterior) horn, averaging at around 50 cm long
The page saysBlack rhinos have been recorded at up to 55 kilometers per hour (34 mph), and they can change direction surprisingly quickly and run right through scrub and bushes.
The source saysblack rhino can move extremely fast and have been recorded at highs of 55 km/h. They can change direction surprisingly quickly and can run right through scrub and bushesNote: 34 mph is a conversion of 55 km/h
The page saysTheir eyesight is poor: one cannot easily spot a person standing more than 30 meters away. Their senses of smell and hearing are excellent.
The source saysblack rhinos have poor eyesight, and cannot easily detect an observer standing more than 30 metres away. They do however have an excellent sense of smell and hearing
The page saystags: savanna
The source sayssemi-desert savannah, woodlands, forests and wetlands
The page saysrecorded at up to 55 km/h that runs straight through scrub
The source sayshave been recorded at highs of 55 km/h. They can change direction surprisingly quickly and can run right through scrub and bushesNote: vibe.reason (#454); 'straight through scrub' renders 'right through scrub and bushes'.

Source
03

Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan

Diceros bicornis (black rhinoceros). Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan.

The page saysTwigs, woody shrubs, small trees, legumes and grass, with a preference for acacias and Euphorbia plants
The source saysBlack rhinos are browsers that feed on items such as twigs, woody shrubs, small trees, legumes, and grass. Black rhinos show a preference for Acacia species, as well as plants in the family Euphorbiaceae.
The page saysA hooked, prehensile upper lip that grabs plants and guides them into its mouth.
The source saysBlack rhinos use their characteristic prehensile upper lip to grab plants and guide them into their mouthsNote: 'hooked' is Save the Rhino's word for the lip (see the lip claim below)
The page saysIt once lived across Africa south of the Sahara, apart from the Congo Basin.
The source saysHistorically, Diceros bicornis has been distributed throughout Africa, south of the Sahara, with the exception of the Congo Basin.
The page saysThat upper lip is prehensile, meaning it can grip: it grabs plants and guides them into the mouth.
The source saysBlack rhinos use their characteristic prehensile upper lip to grab plants and guide them into their mouthsNote: 'meaning it can grip' defines prehensile
The page saysIt eats an average of 23.6 kilograms of food a day.
The source saysThey eat an average of 23.6 kg during the course of each day.
The page saysA startled black rhino tends to run away. Once the scare passes, curiosity kicks in and it investigates with charges.
The source saysWhen they are startled, they tend to run away from the source. ... Once the initial scare has passed, the rhino's curiosity kicks in, and it will examine the source with inquisitive charges.
The page saysMany charges at people and their vehicles turn out harmless, but some can cause injury or death.
The source saysAlthough many charges by black rhinos towards humans and their vehicles turn into innocent advances, some may cause injury or death to humans
The page saysLions sometimes attack adults, and lions and spotted hyenas sometimes prey on young rhinos, but humans are the most important predator.
The source saysHumans, Homo sapiens, are the most important predator of black rhinos; however, both lions (Panthera leo) and spotted hyaenas (Crocuta crocuta) sometimes prey on young rhinos. Lions also sometimes attack adults.
The page saysHome ranges run from 2.6 to 133 square kilometers.
The source saysDepending on region and habitat, home range can range from 2.6 km^2 to 133 km^2.
The page saysdangerLevel: Deadly
The source saysAlthough many charges by black rhinos towards humans and their vehicles turn into innocent advances, some may cause injury or death to humansNote: backs stats.dangerLevel (#454). Deadly is 'Capable of killing a human', a capability, and ADW records charges causing death.
The page saystags: herbivore
The source saysBlack rhinos are browsers that feed on items such as twigs, woody shrubs, small trees, legumes, and grass.Note: #454, replaces apex-predator and solitary-hunter.

Source
04

AnAge: The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database

AnAge entry for Diceros bicornis. AnAge: The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database.

The page saysAnAge's longevity record is a wild-born female that was about 57 when she died in captivity at a sanctuary in Ngorongoro.
The source saysMaximum longevity 57 years (wild) ... One wild born female specimen was about 57 years old when it died in captivity at a sanctuary in Ngorongoro

Source
05

Pettigrew & Manger 2008

Pettigrew & Manger (2008). Retinal ganglion cell density of the black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis): Calculating visual resolution. Visual Neuroscience.

The page saysa 2008 study of one rhino's retina found no support for its weak-sighted reputation
The source saysA single right retina from a black rhinoceros was whole mounted ... Thus, the reputation of the rhinoceros as a myopic, weakly visual animal is not supported by our observations of the retina.Note: 2008 is the reference's year (Crossref; Cambridge online 28 April 2008)
The page saysIt put the rhino's sharpness of vision at 6 cycles per degree, comparable to a rabbit's
The source saysOur calculations indicate that the rhinoceros has a visual resolution of 6 cycles/degree ... it is comparable to that of the rabbit (6 cycles/deg)Note: 'sharpness of vision' plain-words visual resolution
The page sayscalculated that, against the right background, a black rhino could readily pick out a 30-centimeter-wide person about 200 meters away
The source saysWe calculate that the black rhinoceros could readily distinguish a 30 cm wide human at a distance of around 200 m given the appropriate visual background.

Source
06

Emslie 2020

Emslie (2020). Diceros bicornis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T6557A152728945.

The page saysThe species is Critically Endangered
The source saysCritically EndangeredNote: IUCN category read through GBIF's copy of the Red List, per docs/fact-check.md

How the table was made: a writer drafted the profile from these sources and logged each claim with its quote, a reviewer with nothing but this table checked every sentence said no more than its quote, and a script confirmed each quote appears word for word in the source. The method is in the site'sAbout page.