Narrow-nosed Rhinoceros
Stephanorhinus hemitoechus
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Chordata
Mammalia
Perissodactyla
Rhinoceratoidea
Rhinocerotidae
Stephanorhinus hemitoechus
The Steppe Rhinoceros — Stephanorhinus hemitoechus was a large, cold-adapted rhinoceros that roamed Europe and western Asia during the Pleistocene epoch. Known for its broad snout and thick hide, it thrived in temperate grasslands and open woodland environments alongside mammoths, bison, and early humans.
Description
The Narrow-Nosed Rhinoceros was a large, two-horned rhinoceros species that roamed across Europe, western Asia, and North Africa during the Pleistocene epoch. It had a robust body with relatively short legs and a head adapted for grazing, indicating a diet primarily consisting of grasses. Its nasal septum was partially ossified, a feature shared with the woolly rhinoceros (Coelodonta antiquitatis). Unlike the woolly rhinoceros, which was adapted to cold environments, the Narrow-Nosed Rhinoceros inhabited temperate and Mediterranean climates, favoring open woodlands and moist grasslands
Quick Facts
Max Mass
Shoulder Height
Standing Height
Length
Diet
Trophic Level
2900
1.6
2.4
4
kg
m
m
m
Mixed Feeder
Herbivores – Browsers
Hunt History
Steppe Rhinoceroses were hunted and scavenged by Neanderthals and early modern humans across Europe. These large animals provided significant quantities of meat, hide, and bone material. Hunting was likely opportunistic, using thrusting spears or traps during harsh winters when the animals were slower. Evidence suggests both active hunting and scavenging of individuals that had become trapped or weakened.
Earliest Archaeological Evidence of Human Predation:
La Cotte de St. Brelade (Jersey, Channel Islands, ~120,000 years ago): Rhinoceros bones associated with Neanderthal tools suggest butchery.
Neumark-Nord (Germany, ~100,000 years ago): Cut marks on Stephanorhinus bones confirm human processing.
Taubach (Germany, ~115,000 years ago): Butchered remains of S. hemitoechus found alongside stone tools and hearths.
Time & Range
Extinction Status
Globally Extinct
Extinction Date
Temporal Range
Region
35000
BP
Late Pleistocene
Europe
Wiki Link
Fat Analysis
Fatness Profile:
Medium
Fat %
6
Est. Renderable Fat
174
kg
Targeted Organs
Hump/back & visceral fat
Adipose Depots
Subcutaneous back/shoulder, visceral; marrow
Preferred Cuts
Dorsal hump fat & marrow
Hunt Difficulty (x/5)
5