Decipher mystery in rhino feet

A group of experts in the UK are investigating the secret of making small feet of rhinos able to withstand their massive body weight.

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Rhino is one of the largest animals on land. For decades, the scientific community could not find the answer to the question: Why can the small feet of rhinos support their large bodies?

Now a group of experts from the Royal British Veterinary University (RVC) is determined to find the answer.

"Rhino feet are a secret to us ," said Professor John Hutchinson, a RVC researcher.

Rhino's legs are quite small compared to their bulky bodies.

The BBC said Hutchinson and colleagues trained rhinos in the Colchester zoo to step through a bar with multiple sensors. Force measurement sensors on an area unit. Force data appears on the computer screen as a high resolution image.

Dr. Olga Panagiotopoulou, a member of the research team, said that they care about the differences in the way the legs of elephants and rhinos support their body mass. Elephants have 5 toes facing forward and a 'false toe' facing the heel. Rhino has only three toes.

'Our preliminary data show the difference between how we distribute body weight between elephant legs and rhino feet. The pressure is mainly placed on the outer part of the elephant's foot, while the inner part of the rhino's foot receives the majority of the body weight. Our next goal is to find out which factor comes from ' , Panagiotopoulou said.

The team believes that knowledge about how rhinoceros feet support body weight can help scientists create interesting applications in the future.

'If we understand the rhino's foot, we can think of a way to make devices that can carry large loads in the process of moving , ' explains Professor Hutchinson.