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An enormous, amphibious mammal (after elephants the heaviest land animal), with:
smooth, thick & almost hairless skin (short bristles on back)
Skin is brown to gray-purple with pinkish underparts (their skin pores secrete an oily, thick, reddish pigment which protects it against sunburn).
inflated-looking body on top of short legs (with four webbed toes)
short, muscular, tufted tail (used as a paddle)
huge head with small ears, a wide mouth, huge nostrils
Canines & incisors are in the form of large tusks (& continuously growing).
Hippos have a well developed sense of smell, sight & hearing. The ears, eyes &
nostrils are positioned at the top of the head, so the hippo can be
submerged but still use all its senses.
When diving the hippo can
close its ears and nostrils. Eighty per cent of hippopotamus communication is done
underwater, using click and whistle sounds (similar to dolphins).
A hippopotamus prefers to walk on the bottom of a river rather than
swimming. Their nostrils are valve-like, and close during a dive
(they remain submerged from 3 to 5 minutes). The swimming helps
to prevent skin dehydration. Hippos spray dung in the river.
Hippos have a three-chambered non-ruminating stomach.
They are almost always
plant-eaters, feeding on grass (very occasionally they have been
spotted eating small animals or scavenging). Hippopotami eat
approximately 40 kilogrammes of grass every night (this is between 1
and 2 percent of their body weight - their lifestyle is
energy-efficient), spending about 5 hours a day foraging.
Hippos sometimes scrape their tusks against river banks, which supply valuable minerals.
In zoos hippos also eat lettuce, grain, carrots & apples.
A female hippo is known as a cow & a male hippo is known as a bull. While the cows reach their maximum weight at around about the age of 25 (about 2350kg), bulls continue to grow throughout their lifetimes (to about 3200kg). A Female hippo reaches sexual maturity after about 9 years (and calve about every 2 years), and a male after about 7 years (but may not mate until it's 12 years old).
The dry season is mating season. The stakes are high - only the dominant male gets to mate with the females. Some dominant males rule for 8 years or more. Bulls engage in fights, sometimes resulting in deep wounds or even death. Their primary weapons are their massive lower canine teeth. Should a male hippo challenge another bull, the bull will open his huge mouth and reveal his canines.
Althought the dominant male has the exclusive right to mate with the females, he first has to seduce her. She wags her tale to indicate approval. Mating takes place in water (due to more favourable weight conditions).
As he mounts the female, only her nostrils will be above water. After conception, the gestation period is about 8 months (meaning
that most calves are born during the wet season). Birth takes
place in shallow water (sometimes underwater).
Usually one (rarely 2) calves are born, when twins occur only one survives (the mother will only care for one baby). The mother may carry her calf on her back in deep water, they are very protective over their young. Unlike most babies, baby hippos suckle underwater! For the first two weeks the mother stays secluded from other hippos, looking after her baby. The rest of the herd is often curious about the new baby, but the mother usually does not allow them near the baby and may get aggressive if they come to close.
Except for mothers and their young offspring, hippos can live
independently and roam alone. Although some males are territorial
& solitary, hippos are somewhat gregarious (with their herds
averaging 10 to 20 hippos). A herd of hippos would typically be
led by a bull, with the other members being females (& their young)
& a few young adult males. They use their excrement to mark
their territory (it's flung by their tail - only males fling their dung in this way). For hippos, licking each other is a form of bonding.
A baby hippo is known as a calf. Baby hippos instinctively want to be near the dominant male.
Other than homo sapiens, adult hippos are relatively safe from predators. The main danger to calves is getting trampled by other hippos (usually bulls) during fights, chases & stampedes. Hyenas, lions and crocodiles may attack an unprotected calf (which is why it's good practise for them to remain next to their mother and her powerful jaws!).
Typically 40 to 50 years (the upper end of the range in captivity).
Hippos are native to West, Central, South and East Africa. While they were once numerous in all African rivers & streams with deep water, these days they are confined to national parks & reserves. They have to live near deep lakes and rivers which are within range of grasslands. In the daytime they inhabit rivers & lakes (sleeping in the sun or resting in the water), while at night they graze on short grasslands. Hippos are at their most dangerous when they feel that they are cut off from water.
Not endangered.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class : Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Superfamily : Anthracotheroidea
Family: Hippoporamidae
Genus: Hippopotamus
Species: H amphibius
Hippopotamus amphibius, translated loosely, means "river horse that leads a double life"! The Greek roots of its name are as follows:
hippo horse
potamos river
amphi two
bios life
They are colloquially known as "hippos".
The pigmy hippo, Choreopsis liberiensis,
which is considered to a a living relic of the hippo's ancestor.
The pigmy hippos are solitary, forest-dwellers, native to the
west-African lowland rain forests.
Further family are camels, pigs & deer.
