Hippopotamus

The hippo is a big, mostly herbivorous, animal in Africa. The name comes from the Greek term “river horse.” The hippo is the third largest land mammal behind the elephant and the rhino (by weight). Hippos are mainly known for barrel-shaped bodies, wide-opening mouths with large canine tusks. It is ranked one of the most dangerous animals in Africa.

Most of a hippos life will occur in the water with the exception of eating. They will do childbirth, fighting, and reproduction all in the water. They move from the water to land at night to consume their food for the day, on average 150 pounds of grass per night. Adults move at a speed of five miles per hour, only having to breathe every three to five minutes. The young will have to resurface every two to three minutes to breathe.

The hippopotami are not social animals, and if they sleep next to each other it does not mean they are attached in any way. The only real bond seen between hippos is mother and daughter. Why they travel in packs, also known as a pod, is unknown for sure. One pod can contain up to 100 hippos, and are only territorial in the water. Female hippos become mature around the five to six year range while males are around seven to eight.

Usually they start the reproduction steps in the end of the wet season in the summer. They then give birth in the start of the wet season in the winter. After having a baby hippo, a female hippopotamus will not start ovulating again for about seventeen months. Being ranked some of the highest aggressive animals, they don’t have any predators, except humans. They tend to attack animals if provoked, but will attack humans whether in boats or on land, without any apparent provoking.