Lesser Indian rhinoceros

The subspecies taxon name being the Latin epithet "inermis" means "unarmed" or "toothless". The word "toothless" or in this case "hornless", refers to the subspecies first specimen, a female who had no horn; this trait being identical to other rhinoceros species.^[3]

The lesser Indian rhinoceros were semi-large, with a more elongated body than the Javan rhinoceros, and long, skinny legs. Average sized hooves, and a small eye socket. Horn size and length is most likely about the same size as the Javan rhinoceros. Nothing is known about male individuals.^[3]

Christoph-Augustin Lamare-Picquot visited Bangladesh from 1826 to 1829 to collect specimens of plants, animals, and arthropods to bring back to France. On November 17, 1828 near the Ganges delta, a group of his men killed a hornless, peculiar female rhinoceros, and stole its offspring. An account of his discovery was recorded in 1835 under the species name of Rhinoceros inermis by another French naturalist and explorer, René-Primivère Lesson. The specimens were purchased by Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia in 1836, and given to a museum within Berlin, Germany. The specimens were then bought by the Prussian king by Ludwig l of Bavaria in 1841, and placed in a museum within Munich, Germany.^[3]

The lesser Indian rhinoceros is currently listed as "Extinct" by a majority of sources. The last account of the subspecies was before 1925, potentially having gone extinct by then or soon to be so.^[2]