There are only two species of hippo in the world – the common hippo and the pigmy hippo. They both live in Africa. Let’s find out what makes them so cool.
1. Dangerous animal
Hippos are considered very dangerous as they have killed many people in Africa, although snakes and mosquitos have probably killed more. Hippos are aggressive animals, especially in the water when they defend their territory, but on land, they will rather flee to the water. However, when a person is blocking a hippo’s way to the water, he might be in danger.
2. Hippos don’t swim
Hippos mainly spent their day in the water and normally graze from late afternoon to early morning. During the day they prefer to stay cool and hydrated in the water. One would think that they are great swimmers, but they literally walk underwater. On average, hippos can hold their breath for about five minutes before they need to come up for air.
3. Fatso
The hippo is actually not as fat as you might think. His skin is 6cm thick and he has more muscle than fat. He weighs about 2,000kg and looks bulky, but don’t let his appearance fool you.
4. Hear my call
Have you ever heard hippos calling in the night? It’s called honking and can be heard about 1.5km away. It’s the same loudness as thunder – an average of 115 decibels.
5. Frenemies
While water is in abundance, hippos will be more tolerant to other animals than when the water levels drop. Their biggest ‘frenemies’ in the water are crocodiles. The relationship works between the two animals because hippos are too large to be killed by a crocodile, and hippos don’t eat meat.
6. Hungry like a…
These big animals eat between 35 and 40kg of grass and sometimes fruit, and they often have to travel 10km at night to find food, especially during the dry season. They basically graze all night long.
7. Sunblock
Hippos have a natural sunscreen that is red in colour and secreted from subdermal glands. It’s called ‘hippo sweat’ and also acts as an insect repellent.
