Book 11, Question 21
Why Do Rhinos Have Thick Skin Folds?
Rhinos have thick skin folds to protect their big bodies! The thick skin guards against thorny bushes, sunburn, and biting insects. The deep folds let the heavy animal bend and walk without the skin tearing.
More fun facts
- Indian rhinos have many skin folds around their legs and rear, which makes them look like they are wearing a suit of armor.
- Those folds, along with a single horn, are one way to tell Indian rhinos apart from their African relatives.
- The skin tucked inside an Indian rhino's folds has a pinkish color.
- White rhinos have dense, tough skin with plate-like folds, and the deeper layer of their skin averages about 18 millimeters thick.
- Rhinos wallow in mud and water to cool down, avoid drying out in the sun and keep biting insects and parasites away.
- Birds such as common mynas and cattle egrets pick off and eat the parasites that cling to an Indian rhino's skin folds.
- White rhinos take mud baths in summer and sand baths in winter, and they rarely bathe in plain water.
Sources: animaldiversity.org, animaldiversity.org
Questions kids ask
Is rhino skin like real armor?
It is very thick and tough, and the folds make Indian rhinos look armored, but rhinos still wallow in mud to protect their skin from sun and bugs.
Why do birds sit on rhinos?
Birds like mynas and cattle egrets eat ticks and other parasites from the rhino's skin and folds.