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Learn more about hippopotamus, including how much they weight, how fast they can run on land and where to see in the wild – and stay safe from an attack.
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May 7, 2024 · Low metabolic rate allows survival for many weeks without food; Eat approximately 1-1.5 % of body weight per day At least 2.5% of body weight for many other ungulates such as cattle, white rhinos; Adult hippo consumes 25-40 kg (55-88 lbs) vegetation/day
- Kate Jirik
- 2016
- Hippo Profile
- Interesting Hippo Facts
- Hippo Fact-File Summary
The hippopotamus, or hippo, is native to sub-Saharan Africa and is a large, mostly herbivorous mammal. The name hippopotamus comes from an ancient Greek word that translates to mean ‘river horse’ and the hippo is the third-largest land mammal following the elephant and rhinoceros.
1. Hippos are the deadliest large land animal on the planet
The Hippopotamus is one of the most dangerous animals in the world, killing an estimated 500 people a year in Africa. They are extremely aggressive, unpredictable, have sharp teeth and can crush a human or predator to death with relative ease due to their size. In one 2014 case in Niger, a boat was capsized by a hippo and 13 people were killed. 1
2. Hippos love the water!
The hippopotamus is a semi-aquatic mammal. This means that even though they’re a mammal like humans, dogs, cats, and other similar species, they spend a majority of their life in the water. Their historic habitat even included the Nile River. They love the water so much that the Greeks had named them river horses! However, they only spend their days in the water. By night, they’re on the land and grazing for up to 6 hours.
3. There’s only one wild herd famous outside of Africa…
And it has its roots entangled with Pablo Escobar! During his time, Escobar ran a private zoo which featured hippopotamuses. After he left, however, they escaped into the wild and continued to thrive in Colombia, where they are now part of a herd of at least 80. Since the hippo is an invasive species in this area that could damage the river ecosystems and native wildlife, there are now efforts to help reduce their ability to reproduce, providing a more humane way to halt the growth of the her...
Scientific Classification
1. AFP. “Hippopotamus attack kills 13 people, including 12 children, in boat near Niger’s capital Niamey” ABC News. November 19, 2014. 2. Weisburger, Mindy. “Pablo Escobar’s ‘cocaine hippos’ are being sterilized because the population is out of control.” Live Science. October 21, 2021. 3. Berkovitz, Barry K.B. “Tusks and Ivory” in Nothing but a Tooth. 2013. 4. Moustafa M Haddara et al. “Hippopotamus bite morbidity: a report of 11 cases from Burundi“. National Library of Medicine. August 10th,...
- Rivers, lakes & mangrove swamps
- sub-Saharan Africa, Colombia
- 40-50 years
- 13-18 ft (4 to 5.5 m)
Feeding sessions can last five hours at a time, and are undertaken individually rather than as a herd. With a large barrel-shaped body, short legs and huge skull, the hippo is the third...
Although hippos are large, they only eat around 1-1.5% of their body weight every day, and they have four chambers in their stomach to help breakdown the grass, shoots and flowers that they eat. They have incredibly powerful jaws that are capable of opening up to 150 degrees wide.
Feb 18, 2022 · The average life span of a hippo in the wild or in captivity can range from about 40 to 61, according to the University of Michigan's Animal Diversity Web.
Jul 9, 2020 · The median life expectancy of hippos is 36 years. Hippos can live up to 40 years in the wild. Threats: Habitat loss and the illegal ivory trade are among the largest threats to hippos.
