The hippopotamus, whose hide alone can weigh half a ton, is the third-largest living land mammal, after elephants and white rhinos. It was considered a female deity of pregnancy in ancient Egypt, but in modern times has been wiped out of that country because of the damage it inflicts on crops. The hippo continues to thrive in other parts of Africa.
With very thick skin, especially over the back and rump, the grayish-brown body is almost completely hairless, with only a few bristles around the mouth and the tip of the tail. The hippo has neither sweat nor sebaceous glands but does have unique glands that produce a viscous red fluid, leading to the myth that hippos "sweat blood." The hippo relies on water or mud to keep it cool, and the red fluid may have a similar function, but it is often produced in copious amounts when the animal is excited.
Size: 13 feet long and up to 5 feet tall
Weight: 1600-3200 kg (males) 655-2344 kg (females)
Diet: Herbivorous; a grazer, it eats about 40 kg of preferably short grass nightly, mowing a 50 cm swath with its muscular lips.
Habitat: Rivers, swamps and protected areas. Formerly everywhere south of the Sahara where adequate water and grazing occur. Largely confined now to protected areas but still survives in many major rivers and swamps.
Hippos need water deep enough to cover them, within commuting distance of pasture. They must submerge because their thin, naked skin is vulnerable to overheating and dehydration. They avoid rapids, preferring gently sloping, firm bottom where herds can rest half-submerged and calves can nurse without swimming.
Did you know?
The name hippopotamus comes from the Greek "hippos," meaning horse. Tthese animals were once called "river horses" but the hippo is more closely related to the pig than the horse.
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