---
title: "Black rhinoceros vs giraffe — size, weight and speed compared"
description: "Giraffe is somewhat greater than black rhinoceros on weight — about 1.3×. Compared on 4 measured properties, with the full range and a source for each."
url: https://atoneplace.net/vs/black-rhinoceros-vs-giraffe/
site: "At One Place"
---

# Black rhinoceros vs Giraffe

**Black rhinoceros vs giraffe: Giraffe is larger on weight**

Giraffe is somewhat greater than black rhinoceros on weight — about 1.3×.

A black rhinoceros and a giraffe can be compared on 4 measures. The figures below are typical adult or full-size values, with the larger of the two in bold.

## Side by side

*Larger value in bold. Ranges reflect genuine variation, not uncertainty.*

|  | Black rhinoceros | Giraffe |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weight | 800–1,400 kg | 700–1,930 kg |
| Height | 1.4–1.8 m | 4.3–5.9 m |
| Top speed | 55 km/h | 60 km/h |
| Typical lifespan | 35–45 yr | 20–28 yr |

## What the numbers say

- Giraffe is somewhat greater than black rhinoceros on weight — about 1.3×.
- Giraffe is 3.1× black rhinoceros on height.
- Giraffe is somewhat greater than black rhinoceros on top speed — about 1.1×.
- Black rhinoceros is 1.6× giraffe on typical lifespan.

*Weight compared.*

- Giraffe: 700–1,930 kg
- Black rhinoceros: 800–1,400 kg

## Black rhinoceros

A browser with a pointed prehensile lip, smaller and more aggressive than the white rhino.

## Giraffe

The tallest living animal; its neck holds the same seven vertebrae as a human neck.

> This is a comparison of published measurements, nothing more. It describes how two things differ on measures that have been recorded; it does not predict how they would fare against each other in any situation.

## Common questions

### Which is bigger, black rhinoceros or giraffe?

Giraffe is somewhat greater than black rhinoceros on weight — about 1.3×. Both figures are typical values; the full range for each is in the table above.

### How do black rhinoceroses and giraffes compare on height?

Black rhinoceros: 1.4–1.8 m. Giraffe: 4.3–5.9 m. Giraffe is 3.1× black rhinoceros on height.

### How do black rhinoceroses and giraffes compare on top speed?

Black rhinoceros: 55 km/h. Giraffe: 60 km/h. Giraffe is somewhat greater than black rhinoceros on top speed — about 1.1×.

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- [American bison vs giraffe](https://atoneplace.net/vs/american-bison-vs-giraffe/)
- [Giraffe vs white rhinoceros](https://atoneplace.net/vs/giraffe-vs-white-rhinoceros/)
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## Sources

- Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History — Smithsonian Institution (https://naturalhistory.si.edu/)