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Another animal that doesn't travel south at winter is the woolly rhino. They are very short sighted and this huge male has not even noticed the Neanderthal just fifty metres away.

Walking with Beasts: Mammoth Journey

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The woolly rhinoceros was an Ice Age rhinoceros from the Pleistocene. It was a rhino fully adapted to the hostile conditions of the late Pleistocene.

Physical appearance and biology[]

The woolly rhinoceros was a large rhinoceros. It looked similar to a modern rhinoceros from the African savanna. However, unlike modern rhinos, it possessed a thick coat of brown fur several centimetres long.

The woolly rhinoceros had two large horns on its head. These horns were made of keratin.

Behavior and traits[]

The woolly rhinoceros was a type of rhino which lived during the Ice Age. Due to the extremely cold climate it lived in, this animal adapted to cope with its environment.

One of its various adaptations was its thick, shaggy coat. This coat of fur were several centimeters thick and helped to keep it warm in the winter. It would shed its fur in the spring and summer months in favor of a shorter, cooler coat.

Woolly rhinoceroses had significantly larger horns than its modern, African cousins. They most likely used their horns to dig up plants than had been buried by the snow. It was also used as a weapon against predators and rivals.

The eyesight of the woolly rhinoceros was very poor. Its sense of smell and hearing on the other hand was excellent and would have alerted it to any danger. If it identified something as a threat, it would charge instantly at its target.

In Walking with Beasts[]

A woolly rhinoceros was in the opening titles chasing a Neanderthal.

Mammoth Journey[]

A male woolly rhinoceros walked to a small patch of vegetation to feed. However, only fifty meters away was a Neanderthal. Quickly noticing the rhino, the Neanderthal tried to creep away but it accidentally caught the attention of the rhino.

The woolly rhinoceros charged at the Neanderthal and the victim fled. However, unfortunately for the Neanderthal, the rhino caught up and attacked him. The rhino then left whilst the Neanderthal remained on the ground coughing up blood.

In the spring, the woolly rhinoceroses lost their wool and stopped being as woolly as before. A pair of male woolly rhinoceroses got to duel by scraping their horns against the ground. One of them backed down and the victor chased the forfeiting loser away.

Behind the scenes[]

In 2005, stamps from Liberia reused images of many Walking with... animals including the woolly rhinoceros.[1]

List of appearances[]

Gallery[]

Notes and references[]

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