The common hippopotamus, or hippo, is a large mammal from the order Cetancodonta of the family Hippopotamidae. Typically, the weight of an adult male is about 3 tons, but some individuals can reach 4 tons, comparable to a pair of SUVs. Among terrestrial animals, the hippopotamus shares second place in mass with the rhinoceros, yielding only to the elephant.
Previously, their habitats included almost the entire territory of Africa. Now, the animal is found only south of the Sahara, settling near freshwater bodies.
What do hippos eat in the wild
Despite the fact that the hippopotamus leads a semi-aquatic lifestyle and spends most of its time in the water, it does not eat algae.
At night, it comes ashore and grazes, consuming about 40–70 kg of aquatic and terrestrial grasses, which is just over 1% of the total weight of an adult individual. These animals do not need more, as, due to their enormous intestinal length (up to 60 m), food is digested better than, for example, in elephants.
Do hippos eat meat
For a long time, it was believed that the hippopotamus is a large herbivore, but in 2015, an international group of scientists confirmed that it regularly feeds on the meat of other animals. This conclusion was made by biologists investigating the causes of an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease among hippos living in Uganda and Zambia.
Their mortality from this disease turned out to be five to ten times higher than among other large herbivores. The sad statistics led scientists to suggest that foot-and-mouth disease may enter the bodies of hippos through the meat of the animals they consume.
There had already been reports that in the wild, hippos attack gazelles, antelopes, and consume carrion. Now scientists believe that they resort to changing their diet in case of a deficiency of mineral salts in their bodies.
What do hippos eat in captivity
In captivity, the diet of hippos includes fruits, vegetables, and other plant foods. In addition, they are given special feeds.
However, they are not fed meat.
6 interesting facts about hippos
The skin of the animal contains many special glands that secrete a reddish fluid. It acts as a sunscreen, protecting the skin from drying out and cracking. Therefore, under the sun, the hippopotamus turns pink.
Hippos are the closest relatives of whales. Both species evolved from a common ancestor that was terrestrial and lived about 55 million years ago.
The skin of the animal contains many special glands that secrete a reddish fluid. It acts as a sunscreen, protecting the skin from drying out and cracking. Therefore, under the sun, the hippopotamus turns pink.
The hippopotamus is one of the fastest representatives of the animal world: on land, it can reach speeds of 30–40 km/h, in water — 13 km/h.
The hippopotamus can stay underwater for about two minutes. When submerged, the animal's nostrils automatically close, and when surfacing, they open.
The roar of a hippopotamus is comparable to the rumble of thunder: its power reaches 110 decibels.
