The skulls of the five living species, Diceros bicornis (L.), Ceratotherium simum (Burchell), Rhinoceros unicornis L., R. sondaicus Desmarest and Dicerorhinus sumatrensis (Fischer) are carefully examined to recognize the characters which may give evidence on specific life habits. The state of these characters is analysed in the skulls of Pleistocene rhinocerotids of Europe, namely Stephanorhinus etruscus (Falconer), S. hundsheimensis (Toula), S. kirchbergensis (Jäger), S. hemitoechus (Falconer), Coelodonta antiquitatis (Blumenbach) and Elasmotherium sibiricum Fischer. S. etruscus and S. hundsheimensis lived in relatively open environmental conditions, somewhat similar to those of the present day black rhinoceros, and seem to have been poorly aggressive rhinoceroses, or had realised a high ritualization of their contentions. They were apparently equipped with a strong, prehensile upper lip. The skulls of S. hemitoechus and C. antiquitatis show evidence of the occurrence of a weak, semi-prehensile upper lip, whereas S. kirchbergensis seems to have been a grazing «squarelipped» rhinoceros like the present day Ceratotherium simum. It is suggested here that Coelodonta may not only have used horn sweeping for seeking food, but also as part of fighting ritualisation. E. sibiricum apparently had a strong, prehensile upper lip. The most convincing explanation of the use of the great front horn of this species is sexual display. The possible reasons for the ossification of the nasal septum are also investigated. The strengthening of the nasal area was probably needed to support the efforts of intense and frequent horn-sweeping, a habit which could have been quite diffused among Pleistocene rhinoceroses, rather than to support the weight of the nasal horn.