Black and white rhino: why they were named like that, because in fact they are both gray

In Africa, you can find two of the five species of rhinoceros, and remembering both names is easy: black rhino and white rhino. But if everything is simple with the names, then when correlating them with a specific type of animal, difficulties may arise. The fact is that both of these rhinos are gray. Why, then, do they have different and such opposite names that do not correspond to reality?

This confusion began in the era of colonization of Africa and the study of the continent by European scientists. It can be said that these animals became victims of misunderstanding during translation. First, the name was given to the white rhino, which was named so because of the incorrect translation of the word wijde, which in Boer language means "wide." So the locals called the rhinos, referring to the fact that they have rather wide muzzles. But during the translation into English he was brought closer to the consonant word white - "white." The discrepancy in appearance and name did not bother anyone, so the name white rhino was assigned to the newly described species. Well, black got its name as opposed to white, although in reality both of these species have gray skin. In fairness, it is worth noting that black rhinos are sometimes found in Africa. But animals of this color can belong to one or the other species, and the color of the body is due to the fact that they took mud baths in areas of volcanic rock distribution.

The white rhino is not only larger than its nearest neighbor, but also exceeds the size of all other animals of the rhinoceros family. The number of white rhinos is small throughout the entire range, as animals suffer from poaching and instability in sub-Saharan Africa. The situation is no better with the black rhino, which has retained large populations only within protected areas. The reason for this deplorable state of the species is still the same: poaching for the sake of the extraction and sale of the animal's horn. Both species today, unfortunately, belong to large mammals that are on the verge of extinction.

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