The White Rhinoceros is not white in colour; its name is derived from the Afrikaans / Dutch word "weit", meaning wide, and its manner of feeding has adapted to grazing short grass with a mouth similar to that of the business end of a lawnmower. This animal, with its territorial behaviour and rather slow rate of breeding, make it a poor colonist, and it is very slow to expand its range. White rhinos have a barrel-shaped body and short, thick-set limbs. The head is elongated, and the horns are continuously growing: one horn in front, and a shorter one behind. The skin is thick, grey, and prominantly folded on the front of the shoulders and on the upper part of the hind limbs.
White rhinos require areas of short grass, water for drinking and in which to wallow, adequate bush cover, and relatively flat terrain. These conditions are usually met in wooded grasslands. They do not have incisor teeth and instead use their hard lips to crop grass. They drink regularly and are dependant on its availability.