Mammals · Hippopotamids

Hippopotamus

Hippopotamus amphibius

Vulnerable

The hippopotamus is a massive, barrel-shaped semi-aquatic mammal that spends most of daylight submerged in African rivers and lakes, emerging at night to graze on land. Despite a docile, almost comical reputation, it is among the most dangerous large animals in Africa, fiercely territorial in water and capable of outrunning a person on land.

Hippo submerged in a river with only eyes and ears above water

Classification

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia

Order: Artiodactyla

Family: Hippopotamidae

Genus: Hippopotamus

Species: amphibius

Nearest relative: Whales — hippos are the closest living land relative of cetaceans

Living relative: The pygmy hippo (Choeropsis liberiensis), a separate, much smaller species

Size

10–16.5 ft long, 5 ft at the shoulder; 3,300–9,900 lbs. Males are considerably larger than females.

Habitat

Rivers, lakes and swamps across sub-Saharan Africa, spending most daylight hours submerged in water.

Description

A massive, barrel-shaped body on short legs, with thick, nearly hairless grey-brown skin that secretes a natural reddish "blood sweat" sunscreen.

Diet

Herbivore — grazes 80–100 lbs of grass a night on land; rarely eats aquatic plants.

Speed

Up to 19 mph on land over short distances despite its bulk — faster than a human can run.

Bite force

One of the strongest bites of any land mammal, with canine tusks up to 20 inches long used in fights, not feeding.

Communication

Deep grunts, honks and bellows that carry underwater and through the air alike.

Gestation

About 8 months.

Birth & Litter Size

A single calf, often born underwater, weighing 55–120 lbs and able to swim before it can walk on land.

Sexually Mature

7–15 years for males, 5–6 years for females.

Life Span

40–50 years in the wild.

Social Structure

Gathers in groups of 10–30 called pods or bloats in water, led by a dominant bull; largely solitary while grazing on land at night.

Did You Know?

A hippo’s "blood sweat" is neither blood nor sweat. It is a reddish, oily secretion that acts as a natural sunscreen and antiseptic, produced from special skin glands.

Did You Know?

Hippos are considered the closest living land relative of whales and dolphins, sharing a common ancestor that lived around 55 million years ago.

Did You Know?

Hippos are responsible for more human deaths in Africa than lions, leopards, elephants and buffalo combined, largely from surprise encounters with boats or people walking near the water at night.