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Shebbeare, E.O., 1955. Weapons of the Great Indian rhinoceros. Oryx 3 (3): 125-126

  details
 
Location: World
Subject: Behaviour - Fighting
Species: Indian Rhino


Original text on this topic:
I have always thought that, apart from trampling on its victim, which may be accidental, the Indian rhino's only weapons were these tushes, perhaps better described as the outer pair of lower incisors, since rhinos have no canines. Unlike the middle pair of incisors, these are pointed and usually very sharp. I remember how Bena, a Bengali tracker, who had once been hoisted by a rhino onto the crupper-ropes of a retreating pad-elephant, used to demonstrate, with his own lower incisors, how the lift had been effected, and the healed scars on his loins fully bore him out. The horns of Asian rhinos are often not much sharper than the pointed toe of a show and not much harder.

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