Diceros bicornis michaeli

The head and body length of the black rhinoceros is 10 to 12 feet. The shoulder height is 4.5 to 6 feet. They weigh between 2,000 to 3,000 pounds with a tail length of about 2.3 feet. They have two horns, with the anterior horn larger than the posterior, being about 1.6 feet long. Occasionally the beginning of a third posterior horn is evident. The upper lip is triangular shaped, prehensile, and very mobile. Hair is present on the ears and tail only. Both this rhino and the white rhino are dark in color, but the black rhino is somewhat darker. The coloration is dark yellow-brown to dark brown or dark gray. The female is generally the same as the male, with the horn usually longer and more slender. Black rhinos are massively built, with short legs. The skin is thick. Birds, called oxpeckers, ride on the rhino's back and eat ticks from the skin. They are also believed to warn the rhino of danger.