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Mar 10, 2011 · When totally submerged, the ears and nostrils shut tight to keep the water out, and hippos can hold their breath for five minutes. Hippos often nap in the water during the daytime.
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Oct 28, 2019 · Hippos’ movement is driven primarily by two factors: water sources and food availability. They spend their days submerged in rivers and pools to avoid the harsh sun. At night, however, they move onto dry land to graze on the swaths of short grasses their wide mouths are adapted to mowing.
Hippos spend a lot of time in the water to cool down and stay out of the sun. Due to their large size, they cannot regulate their temperature as smaller mammals do. Their skin has no fur or hair, which leaves them susceptible to sunburn and heatstroke.
Hippos can stay completely submerged for about six minutes, but they generally rise to breathe again after only two or three minutes. They can control the rate of their rising and sinking in the water by changing the volume of air in their lungs by movements of the diaphragm.
Jul 13, 2009 · This adaptation to aquatic life allows hippos to exhibit a greater range of locomotion under the water than on land. Since they do not have to actively hold themselves down, and the watery ...
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Jul 7, 2024 · They can lift their heads just enough to keep their nostrils, eyes, and ears above the water’s surface, appearing completely still submerged for several hours. This has led people to mistakenly believe they can stay underwater for long periods.
Feb 18, 2022 · They live in areas with abundant water, as they spend most of their time submerged to keep their skin cool and moist. Considered amphibious animals, hippos spend up to 16 hours per day in the ...