Which colour is the skin of a white rhinoceros?

The white rhino is one of the two rhino species found in Africa. Despite its name the white rhino is not actually white at all, its skin is grey in colour. There are many different theories as to where the term ‘white’ came from, but the most common one is that it is derived from the Afrikaans word for ‘wide’, describing the white rhinos wide mouth and upper lip. The white rhino is also known as the square lipped rhino.

The white rhino is a grazer and can often be found grazing on grass in the open plains. They need to feed on a daily basis but can survive for 4 to 5 days without water.

Populations of white rhino have recovered from an all time low of around 100 in 1895 to the current wild population of around 20,170. However, an increase in rhino poaching since 2008 is once again threatening the total population.