The hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius), or hippo, from the ancient Greek for "river horse" (???????????), is a large, mostly herbivorous mammal in sub-Saharan Africa, and one of only two extant species in the family Hippopotamidae (the other is the Pygmy Hippopotamus.) The hippopotamus is the third largest land animal (after the elephant and the white rhinoceros) and the heaviest extant artiodactyl, despite being considerably shorter than the giraffe.The hippopotamus is semi-aquatic, inhabiting rivers and lakes where territorial bulls preside over a stretch of river and groups of 5 to 30 females and young. During the day they remain cool by staying in the water or mud; reproduction and childbirth both occur in water. They emerge at dusk to graze on grass. While hippopotamuses rest near each other in the water, grazing is a solitary activity and hippos are not territorial on land.
Ten Facts about Hippopotamus
- It is the third-largest land mammal by weight (between 1½ and 3 tonnes).
- Hippos have been clocked at 30 km/h (19 mph) over short distances.
- There are an estimated 125,000 to 150,000 hippos throughout Sub-Saharan Africa; Zambia (40,000) and Tanzania (20,000-30,000) possess the largest populations.
- The average weights for adult males ranged between 1,500-1,800 kg (3,300-4,000 lb). Females are smaller than their male counterparts, with average weights measuring between 1,300-1,500 kg (2,900-3,300 lb).
- Older males can get much larger, reaching at least 3,200 kg (7,100 lb) and occasionally weighing 4,500 kg (9,900 lb).
- Estimates of their running speed vary from 30 km/h (18 mph) to 40 km/h (25 mph), or even 50 km/h (30 mph).
- A hippo's lifespan is typically 40 to 50 years. Donna the Hippo, 57, is the oldest living hippo in captivity.
- Female hippos reach sexual maturity at five to six years of age and have a gestation period of 8 months. Males reach maturity at around 7.5 years.
- After becoming pregnant, a female hippopotamus will typically not begin ovulation again for 17 months.
- A mother typically gives birth to only one hippo, although twins also occur. The young often rest on their mothers' backs when in water that is too deep for them, and they swim underwater to suckle.
