Coelodonta antiquitatis

Overview

The Woolly Rhinoceros was a massive, shaggy beast that roamed the frozen steppes of Ice Age Europe and Asia! Living from about 350,000 to 10,000 years ago, this incredible animal was perfectly adapted to the harsh glacial climate with its thick fur coat and huge horn. Cave paintings by early humans show they knew this animal well.

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Taxonomy & Classification

• Family: Rhinocerotidae
• Genus: Coelodonta
• Diet: Herbivore (grazer)
• Era: Pleistocene

The woolly rhino was related to modern rhinos but adapted for extreme cold.

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Physical Characteristics

Size & Build

• Length: 3-3.8 meters (10-12.5 feet)
• Height: 1.6-2 meters (5-6.5 feet) at shoulder
• Weight: 1,800-2,700 kg (2-3 tons)
• Build: Stocky, barrel-shaped body

The Horns

• Two horns made of keratin (like fingernails)
• Front horn: Up to 1 meter (3 feet) long!
• Flattened from side to side
• Used for sweeping snow to find food
• Also used for defense and display

Cold Weather Adaptations

• Thick woolly fur (up to 15 cm long!)
• Two layers: coarse outer, soft under-layer
• Small ears to reduce heat loss
• Short legs and stocky build
• Fat reserves for harsh winters

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Habitat & Lifestyle

Mammoth Steppe

The woolly rhino lived on the "mammoth steppe":

• Vast grasslands across Europe and Asia
• Cold, dry climate
• Similar to today's Siberian tundra
• Shared habitat with mammoths, bison, horses

Diet

As a grazer, the woolly rhino ate:

• Grasses and sedges
• Herbaceous plants
• Used its flat horn to sweep away snow
• Head held low to the ground while feeding

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Preserved Specimens

Frozen in Time

The woolly rhino is exceptionally well-known because:

• Frozen carcasses found in Siberia
• Preserved skin, fur, and organs
• We know exactly what they looked like
• Even stomach contents preserved!
• Some found with last meal still inside

Famous Finds

• "Sasha": Baby woolly rhino found in 2014
• Multiple adults found in permafrost
• Cave paintings in France and Spain
• Carcasses found by gold miners in Siberia

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Cave Art

Ice Age Artists

Early humans drew woolly rhinos:

• Chauvet Cave (France): 30,000+ years old
• Lascaux Cave (France)
• Detailed images show two horns and shaggy fur
• Humans clearly knew these animals well
• May have hunted them

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Extinction

Why Did They Disappear?

Woolly rhinos went extinct about 10,000 years ago:

Climate Change:

• Ice Age ended, climate warmed
• Grasslands became forests
• Food sources changed

Human Hunting:

• Humans hunted them for meat and hides
• Cave art shows humans knew them well
• Combined pressure was too much

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Woolly Rhino vs. Modern Rhinos

Feature	Woolly Rhino	White Rhino
Fur	Thick, woolly	Nearly hairless
Horns	2, flattened	2, rounded
Climate	Ice Age cold	Tropical/warm
Size	2-3 tons	2-2.5 tons
Range	Eurasia	Africa

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Cool Facts

• Frozen woolly rhinos have been found with fur still intact!
• Their front horn could be 1 meter (3 feet) long
• They used their horn like a snow plow to find food
• Cave paintings show humans drew them accurately 30,000 years ago
• Baby "Sasha" was found perfectly preserved in Siberian ice
• Their closest living relative is the Sumatran rhinoceros
• Scientists have extracted DNA from frozen specimens
• They could survive temperatures of -40°C (-40°F)!

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The Woolly Rhinoceros was a magnificent Ice Age giant—a testament to how life can adapt to even the harshest conditions on Earth!