 Reference Base  On the occurrence of Rhinoceros sondaicus Desm. in Sumatra |
|
Beaufort, L.F. de, 1928. On the occurrence of Rhinoceros sondaicus Desm. in Sumatra. Tijdschrift der Nederlandsche Dierkundige Vereeniging (3) 1 (2): 43-44
|
|
|
|
| |
| Location: |
World |
| Subject: |
Taxonomy |
| Species: |
Javan Rhino |
 |
|
|
It is true that Rhinoceros sondaicus his been mentioned as living in Sumatra, but none of these records were absolutely certain. Gray e.g. (Cat. Carnivorous, Pachydermatous etc. Mammalia, 1869) mentions a skeleton in the British Museum of this species 'received from the Leyden Museum through M. Frank as R. sumatranus, from Sumatra', but the author was so convinced that it did not occur there, that he supposed 'that some mistake in the name and habitat' must have been made. In the same catalogue he describes Rhinoceros floweri (a synonym of Rhinoceros sondaicus), which was presented by Sir Stamford Raffles and therefore was supposed to come from Sumatra. To strengthen this opinion he cites Raffles as follows: 'There is another animal in the forests of Sumatra never yet noticed, which in size and character nearly resembles the Rhinoceros , and which is said to bear a single horn. The animal is distinguished by having a narrow whitish belt encircling the body'. It is apparent that not a Rhino, but Tapirus indicus has been described to Raffles, but the 'single horn' suggests, that stories about the javanese Rhino also reached Raffles and that he thought it was one and the same animal.
|
|
|
File available
details
Original text on this topic: