Common Hippopotamus Facts

(Last Updated On: April 9, 2021)

The common hippopotamus (/ˌhɪpəˈpɒtəməs/ HIP-ə-POT-ə-məs; Hippopotamus amphibius) or hippo is a large, mostly vegetarian, semi-mammalian and native to sub-Saharan Africa, and it is one of only two hippopotamus species in the Hippopotamidae family. (Quercopis Liberianensis or Hexaprotodon Liberianensis).

Common Hippopotamus

The name comes from the ancient Greek for “river horse” (3). After elephants and rhinoceros, the common hippopotamus is the third-largest type of mammalian mammal and the heaviest circulating arterodactyl.

Despite its physical resemblance to pigs and other landowners, even Todd Ungulate, the closest surviving relatives of the hippopotamidae are cetaceans (whales, dolphins, porpoises, etc.) from which they diverged some 55 million years ago.

Common hippos express their barrel-shaped torques, wide-opening mouths with large canine tusks, almost hairless bodies, column legs, and large scales; Adult males and females average 1,500 kg (3,310 lbs) and 1,300 kg (2,870 lbs), respectively. Despite its stocky size and short legs, it is capable of running less than 30 km / h (19 miles).

Common hippos live in rivers, lakes, and mangrove wetlands, where regional bulls preside over a stretch of river, and there are between five and thirty women and young men. During the day they stay cool in the water or in the mud; Both breeding and delivery occur in the water.

They come to forage on the grass in the evening while the hippos are stationed near each other in the water, grazing is a solitary activity and the hippos are not territorial in the land.

Hippos are among the most dangerous animals in the world because they are extremely invasive and incredible. Their habitat is reduced and their meat and ivory canine teeth are threatened by predators.

Common Hippopotamus subspecies

Five subspecies of the common hippopotamus are described on the basis of morphological differences between their skulls and geographical differences:

Great northern hippopotamus or blue hippopotamus h. A. Amoebias – (designated subspecies) that extend from Egypt, where they are now extinct, to the Tanzania and Mozambique banks on the Nile River.

East African hippopotamus h. Kiboko – Kenya in the Great Lakes region of Africa, and Somalia in the Horn of Africa. Wider nasal and more empty interconnected region
Cape Hippopotamus or South African Hippopotamus H. A. Capensis – most of the sub-species of skulls from Zambia to South Africa

Hippopotamus or tetched hippopotamus h. A. tschadensis – Across West Africa by name, Chad, slightly shorter and wider face, with prominent orbit

Angola hippopotamus h. Congratulations – Named for its deepest pre-nascent alliance in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Namibia in Namibia, South America

Common Hippopotamus Description

The Skull of the common hippopotamus shows huge canines and incisors used for combat.

The hippos are one of the largest living land mammals, only smaller than elephants and some rhinoceros. Among the African megaphones that exist behind two African elephant species, they are smaller than the average white rhinoceros but larger with body mass than black rhinoceros and giraffes.

The average adult weight is approximately 1,500 kg (3,310 lb) and 1,300 kg (2,870 lb) for males and females, with very large males weighing 2,000 kg (4,410 lb) and exceptional males 2,660 kg (5,860 lb) and 3,200 kg (7,050). May pound) have been reported. Male hippos continue to grow throughout life when females reach their maximum weight at 25 years of age.

The common hippopotamus is immersed in most open eyes, ears, and runny nose

The hippos have a barrel-shaped body with short legs and long rows. Their skeletal structure is gravitational, adapts to their heavy lifting, and their specific gravity allows them to sink and run along the river. Hippopotamus has smaller legs (compared to other megaphones) because the weight of the water in the water they live in decreases.

Although these are huge animals, hippos can travel at speeds of up to 30 km / h (19 miles), but usually trot. They are unable to jump but climb steep shores. Despite having semiaquatic and webbed legs, an adult hippo is not a particularly good swimmer and may not float. It is rarely found in deep water; When this happens, the animal jumps from the bottom to the porpoise-national.

The noses of the eyes, ears, and hips of the hippos are placed high on the roof of their skulls. It allows these organs to remain on the surface while the rest of the body is submerged.

Men’s tests are only partially descending and a testicle is not present. In addition, the penis returns to the body without erect. Female genitalia is uncommon as the vagina is amputated and the two large diverticula valves extend from the vestibule. Their function is unknown.

The hippo’s jaw is driven by a larger master and a well-developed digastric; The latter goes back and forth on the highway. The jaw hips are located far enough behind to allow the animal to open its mouth at about 180 °.

A moderate fold of the Orbulliseris oris muscle allows the hippo to achieve such a sin without tearing a tissue. The bite force of an adult woman has been measured as 8,100 newtons (1,800 lbs).

Hippo teeth make themselves sharp when grinding together. Lower canines and lower incisors are enlarged, especially in men, and continue to increase. The incisors reach 40 cm (1 ft 4 in), while the canines reach 50 cm (1 ft 8 in).

Canines and incisors are used to fight and have no role in feeding. The hippies rely on their wide horny lips to draw and pull the grass, which is then ground by the molasses. The hippo is considered a pseudoruminant; It has a complex three-chambered stomach but does not “chew on”.

Unlike most other semi animals, the common hippopotamus has very short hair. The skin is 6 cm (2 inches) thick, providing great protection against intruders and predators. In contrast, its subcutaneous fat level is thin.

The upper parts of the animals are from purple-gray to blue-black, while the lower parts and regions around the eyes and ears may be brownish-pink. Their skin conceals a natural sunscreen ingredient that is of red color.

Discharge is sometimes referred to as “blood sweating”, but not blood or sweat. This discharge is initially colorless and turns red-orange within minutes, eventually turning brown. Two harmful pigments have been identified, one is red (hipposudoric acid) and one orange (norhipsudoric acid).

The two pigments are highly acidic compounds. They inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria, and their photosensitive peaks in the ultraviolet range create a sunscreen effect.

All hippos, even people with different diets, are secreting pigments, so it is not seen that food is the source of pigments. Alternatively, animals can synthesize pigments of precursors such as amino acid tyrosine. However, this natural sunscreen does not prevent the animal’s skin from being cracked if left out for too long.

The life span of a hippo is usually 40-50 years. Donna Hippo was the oldest living hippo among the prisoners. He lived at the Mascar Park Zoo in Evansville, Indiana, USA, until he died at the age of 27.

Delivery and Status

Hippopotamus amphibius was widespread in North Africa and Europe some 30,000 years ago during the Eoman and Late Pleistocene. Archaeological evidence exists about its presence in the Levant, less than 3,000 years ago.

In ancient times, this species has been prevalent in the Nile region of Egypt but has since survived. Pliny the Elder writes that in his time, site Nome was the best place in Egypt to capture this creature; Even after the Arab conquest of 63।, this creature could still be found near the Damita branch.

News of the killing of the last hippo in the Natal province was published at the end of the 5th century. The hippos are still found in rivers and lakes in northern Kothia, Uganda, Tanzania, and Kenya’s northern Democratic Republic, Ethiopia, Somalia, and Sudan in the north, the Gambia to the west, and South Africa to the south.

Behavior and life history

Unlike all other large ground mammals, hippos are a semiotic habitat that spends days on lakes and rivers. They are found in both savannah and forest areas. Suitable habitat requires sufficient water and grass nearby. Large densities of animals live in calm waters, often with strong, smooth beaches. Very few men can be found in fast water in rocky gorges.

The hippos live mostly in freshwater habitats, but most of the West African population lives in estuarine water and can be found at sea. Except for eating, most of the life of hippos occurs in water.

The hippos leave the water in the evening, sometimes traveling inland, sometimes grazing on short grasses up to 10 kilometers (6 miles), which is their main source. They spend four to five hours on grazing and can consume up to 68kg (150 lbs) of grass per night.

Like almost any herb, they consume other plants if they are introduced to them, but in their diet of nature, grasses are almost entirely formed, with only minimal consumption of aquatic plants.

Hippos are born with a germ-free intestine and need to receive bacteria from their mother’s feces to digest the plants. There are other reports on meat-eating, and even narcissism and prophecy. Hippo’s stomach anatomy is not compatible with carnivorous and eating meat is most likely due to unhealthy behavior or nutritional stress.

The hippo faces produce all the organic matter deposits along the bed of the river. These deposits have a vague environmental function. A survey of 20 concluded that hippo dung provides nutrients from terrestrial material for fish and aquatic invertebrates, when a 2018 study found that dung could be toxic to aquatic life due to the absorption of dissolved oxygen in their bodies.

Due to their size and habit of feeding the same way, the hippos can have a significant impact on the land they are passing through, both keeping the land clear of vegetation and frustrating the land. In the long run, hippos can drain waterways and channels.

A hippopotamus walks on the grassland of Serengeti National Park in the morning

Adult hippos move at 8 km / h (5 mph) in water; Usually every three to five minutes, the breath is cleansed again. Young people have to breathe every two to three minutes. Surfacing and Breathing Processes Subconscious: A watery sleeping hippo will breathe out of sleep.

A hippo closes its nostrils when submerged in water. Hippos, such as fish and turtles in coral reefs, occasionally visit clean-faced stations and signals, expanding their mouths, preparing them to clean the parasites by certain species of fish. This is an example of reciprocity, where the hippo enjoys cleanliness and the fish eats food.

The hippos co-exist with several large predators. Blue crocodiles, lions, and stained hyenas are known to hunt young hippos. However, adult hippos are generally not hunted by other animals due to their aggression and size.

Large-scale lion prairies have been reported in cases that have successfully promoted adult hippos; However, these predators are usually hunted by lions occasionally in the rare rare Guarangosa National Park, and the bulls are taken by the bull. Frequent targets of crocodile hippo invasion, probably because they live in almost the same sea habitat; Crocodiles may be aggressively displaced or killed by hippos.

Reproduction

Female hippos reach sexual maturity at five to six years of age and have a gestation period of eight months. A study of endocrine systems suggests that female hippies may begin puberty at the age of three or four. Males mature at about 7.5 years of age.

A study of hippo reproductive behavior in Uganda found that peak perceptions occurred at the end of the wet season of summer, and peaks were born at the beginning of the wet season toward the end of winter.

This is because of the orientation of the woman; Like most large mammals, the male hippo spermatozoa are active throughout the year. Studies of hippos in Zambia and South Africa also show evidence of birth at the beginning of the wet season. After becoming pregnant, a female hippo usually does not begin ovulation again for 17 months.

Confusion occurs in the water, most of the women are submerged in the face, his head is raised to draw the breath. Female hippos differentiate themselves in 10-15 days to give birth and return.

Baby hippos are born underwater, weighing between 25 and 50 kg (55 and 110 lbs) weighing about 127 cm (1.717 feet), and must swim to the surface to take their first breath.

A mother usually gives birth to a calf, although twins also occur. Young people often rest on their mothers’ backs when the water is too deep for them, and they swim underwater to suck. When mothers release water, they suck on the ground.

Mother hippos may keep their babies very protective and the other far away. However, the calves are sometimes left in nurseries that are guarded by one or a few adults. The calves in the nursery are involved in the playoffs.

Breastfeeding begins six to eight months after birth, and most calves are fully weaned after one year. Like many other large mammals, hippos are described as K-strategists, in which usually only a large, well-developed infant is born every few years; more common in small mammals each year than small mammals.

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