Hippopotamus, facts and photos (2024)

  • Animals
  • Reference

Common Name:
Hippopotamus

Scientific Name:
Hippopotamus amphibius

Type:
Mammals

Diet:
Herbivore

Group Name:
School

Average Life Span In The Wild:
Up to 40 years

Average Life Span In Captivity:
Up to 50 years

Size:
Up to 16.5 feet long and 5.2 feet tall

Weight:
Up to 4.5 tons

Hippopotamus, facts and photos (2)

IUCN Red List Status:
Vulnerable

LC

NT

VU

EN

CR

EW

EX

Least Concern Extinct

Current Population Trend:
Decreasing

What is a hippo?

Hippopotamuses are large, semiaquatic mammals native to sub-Saharan Africa. Although their name comes from the Greek for “river horse”—because of the time they spend in the water—their closest living relatives are whales, dolphins, and pigs. They can’t swim, breathe underwater, or even float—but they have developed a tactic that lets them nap underwater.

(Learn about the surprising ways that animals sleep.)

These huge herbivores are known for their enormous teeth, aggressive nature, and the myth that they sweat blood. Here’s what you need to know about one of Africa’s most dangerous animals.

Appearance

Hippos are the world’s third-largest land mammals after elephants and white rhinos. Males can reach lengths of 10.8 to 16.5 feet, and weigh up to 9,920 pounds, while females weigh up to 3,000 pounds.

These muscular animals have round torsos and pinkish brown bodies with two-inch-thick, waterproof skin, and short, stout legs. They might not look aerodynamic, but hippos can reach speeds of up to 22 miles per hour on land over short distances.

Hippos have impressive teeth inside their huge mouths. Their molars are used for eating while their long, sharp canines—which can reach 20 inches—are for fighting. Their remarkably strong jaws can open to 180 degrees and their bite is nearly three times stronger than a lion’s. One bite from a hippo can cut a human body in half.

Life in the water

Hippos live in waterways such as rivers, lakes, and mangroves. Their skin may be thick but it is extremely sensitive and can easily burn or dry out in the fierce African sun. So, they spend most of their day in the water or mud to keep cool, wet, and protect their delicate skin.

When basking on the shore, they secrete an oily red sweat-like substance that moistens their skin, repels water, and protects them from the sun and germs. This reddish liquid is behind the myth that hippos sweat blood.

Hippos cannot swim or breathe underwater, and unlike most mammals they are so dense that they cannot float. Instead, they walk or run along the bottom of the riverbed. Because their eyes and nostrils are located on the top of their heads, they can still see and breathe while underwater. 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. A subconscious reflex allows them to push themselves to the surface to breathe without waking up so they can sleep without drowning. At sunset, they leave the water to graze, eating up to 110 pounds of grass each night.

Aggression and dominance

These social animals live in groups called herds or pods, which typically include around 40 individuals or as many 200. They are highly territorial, and use dung middens—an area where they repeatedly poop—to mark their territory and communicate with other hippos. Males will use their tail to flick their dung in all directions as a display of dominance.

Although hippos are vegetarian, they can be aggressive when they sense danger—such as when something, or someone, encroaches on their habitat—and their deadly strength makes them one of Africa’s most dangerous animals. The likelihood you will diein a hippo encounter (86.7 percent) is higher than that of lions (75 percent) and sharks (25 percent). While the number of human deaths from hippos is unknown, it could be as many as 500 to 3,000 each year.

Reproduction

Females reach sexual maturity around the age of 10. Gestation lasts eight months, and they give birth to one calf every two years. Hippos mate and give birth in the water.

Weighing nearly a hundred pounds at birth, newborn hippos can hold their breath for 90 seconds. Once mother and calf have bonded, they join schools of other hippos for protection against predators. The calf stays with its mother until around seven years old.

Threats to survival

The International Union for Conservation of Nature classifies hippos as vulnerable to extinction. Although the hippopotamus doesn’t have many predators, it is threatened by poaching for its meat, fat, and ivory teeth. Other threats include the loss of its habitat and human-hippo conflicts. Because the species is slow to reproduce, threats can significantly impact population numbers.

The only other living hippo species, the pygmy hippo, is an endangered species native to West Africa.

(Human-hippo conflicts are exploding in this pristine patch of Kenya.)

As ecosystem engineers—a species whose presence changes, creates, destroys, or maintains a habitat—the loss of hippos also affects the wider ecosystem. When hippos defecate in the water during the daytime, their dung—which is rich in nutrients—washes through the waterways and delivers important elements like nitrogen and phosphorus to other species in the ecosystem.

Human impacts can interfere with this important cycle. If rivers do not flow—due to climate change or human developments—the hippos’ nutrient-rich dung cannot be circulated through the ecosystem, and aquatic animals and plants suffer. In the areas where the waste then builds up, it can reach such a high concentration that most species cannot survive the resulting high levels of algae and low levels of oxygen.

The once-healthy population of hippos in Virunga National Park in Democratic Republic of the Congo—which was around 29,000 in the 1970s—was devastated by poachers until there were fewer than 900 remaining in 2005. Thanks to better enforcement and conservation initiatives, the Virunga population has started to recover, and hippo populations around the world are currently stable.

Did you know?

Drug lord Pablo Escobar is responsible for a growing population of hippos in Colombia after four hippos escaped from his personal zoo and started breeding. There are now around a hundred of these so-called “cocaine hippos” in the wild.
National Geographic

In 1910, the American Hippo Bill proposed importing hippos to the Louisiana bayou to solve two key issues in the United States at the time: meat shortages and invasive plant species. The bill never passed.
U.S. Government Publishing Office

Hippos have retractable and highly mobile testicles which are difficult to find—making it hard for zoos to control hippo population growth or mitigate aggression in males.
Theriogenology

Because of the serious complications common with hippo bites—including infection, amputation, and permanent disability—experts recommend treating hippo-related injuries as a major trauma rather an animal bite.
Oxford Medical Case Reports

Fossil remains show that there once were two species of dwarf hippo in Madagascar, which likely went extinct due to being hunted by humans.
Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology

Editor's note: This story was originally published on March 10, 2011. It has been updated.

Hippopotamus, facts and photos (2024)

FAQs

What is special about a hippopotamus? ›

Their eyes, nose and ears are located on the top of their head, which means they can see and breathe whilst submerged in the water. What's more, these super-cool creatures sweat an oily red liquid which helps protect their skin from drying out – and acts as a sunblock, too!

What is a hippos favorite food? ›

On land, hippos' large bodies make trails through vegetation that other animals may use for easy access to water holes. Because hippos' favorite food is short grass, they keep these grasses well trimmed which may help to deter grassfires.

What is unusual about a hippo? ›

Hippos can close their nostrils and ears to prevent water from entering. This is why hippo calves can suckle on land or underwater. An open mouth is not a yawn but rather assign to warn you off. You will only see hippo 'yawning' while in the water because they are only territorial while in the water.

Are hippopotamus friendly? ›

Hippos do not eat humans, but they will attack people who infringe on their territory. While on land, hippos are not territorial, but they are territorial in the water. Hippos spend most of their time submerged in water in order to keep them cool.

Do hippos eat meat? ›

Many people think that hippos eat meat because they're so large in size. However, hippos are actually herbivores, meaning they only feed on plants. The majority of their diet consists of short grasses, but they will eat fruit if it's available.

Do hippos recognize people? ›

The biologists recorded the wheeze-honks of hippos and broadcast these from the shore of lakes to see how other individuals responded. They found hippos could tell apart friends, neighbours and strangers from their voices.

Do hippos mate for life? ›

Hippos are polygamous, meaning they mate with multiple mates throughout life, and males may mate with multiple females in a single season. Females have a gestation period of about 324 days (8 months) and give birth in water away from their herd.

What do hippos do all day? ›

During daylight hours, hippos spend almost all of their time wallowing in shallow water. In the evening, after the hot sun has set, hippos come out of the water for a night of grazing—in fact, this goes on for about six hours!

What are the predators of hippos? ›

Nile crocodiles, lions, and spotted hyenas are known to prey on young hippos. Beyond these, adult hippos are not usually preyed upon by other animals due to their aggression and size. Cases where large lion prides have successfully preyed on adult hippos have been reported, but it is generally rare.

What to do if you see a hippo? ›

If you do see a hippo, you should give it plenty of space. Hippos aren't naturally aggressive towards humans but will be aggressive if they feel threatened or if you're in their territory. Ensure you don't get in between a hippo and its food or water source.

What makes a hippo angry? ›

Why are hippos aggressive? Hippos are extremely territorial and have few defense tactics. Hippopotamuses are extremely territorial. Since water is so important to them and they don't have the bodies to handle long migrations, they will lash out at anything they perceive to be a threat.

What are hippos fears? ›

The third-largest land mammal on land the Hippo has nothing to be afraid of any other animal except for elephants and of course themselves. They are not even afraid of adult white rhinos. They are big bullies which are not afraid of anything. They sometimes even charge at bull elephants.

What is hippos weakness? ›

01Ancestry: Hippopotami Are Related to Whales and Dolphins. 02Reputation: Hippos Are the Deadliest Land Animal in Africa. 03Habits: Hippos Cannot Breathe Water. 04Weakness: Hippos are Terrible Swimmers. 05Speed: Hippos Can Reach Speeds of Almost 20 Miles per Hour.

Is hippo milk pink? ›

Both these acids function as sunscreen for hippos, thus safeguarding them from ultraviolet rays. The lactating hippo will discharge milk, which is white in color, however, with the combination of the mentioned acids, the milk appears pink in color.

How fast can a hippo run? ›

On average, hippos can run at speeds of around 19–28 miles per hour (30–45 kilometers per hour). That might not sound very fast compared to, say, a cheetah, which can run at speeds of up to 75 miles per hour (120 kilometers per hour), but it's still pretty impressive when you consider how large and heavy hippos are.

What are baby hippos called? ›

A male pygmy hippopotamus is known as a bull, a female as a cow, and a baby as a calf. A group of hippopotami is known as a herd or a bloat.

What are the facts about hippos for Grade 4? ›

An adult hippopotamus may weigh 4 tons, grow to a length of 12 to 14 feet (3.7 to 4.2 meters), and stand 5 feet (1.5 meters) tall at the shoulder. Next to the elephant, it is one of the largest land mammals. It has a barrel-shaped body and short limbs.

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