Common hippopotamus

Hippopotamus amphibious

Irish Name: Dobhareach
IUCN Status: Vulnerable

Hippos are one of the heaviest land animals on earth and can weigh up to three and a half tonnes! Only elephants and rhinos are heavier. Hippos have a huge barrel-shaped body, wide mouths and large tusks. They spend most of the day wallowing and resting in or near water. At night, they leave the water to graze.

Common hippopotamus

Hippopotamus amphibious

Irish Name: Dobhareach
IUCN Status: Vulnerable

Hippos are one of the heaviest land animals on earth and can weigh up to three and a half tonnes! Only elephants and rhinos are heavier. Hippos have a huge barrel-shaped body, wide mouths and large tusks. They spend most of the day wallowing and resting in or near water. At night, they leave the water to graze.

General Information

Where do they live? (Natural habitat)

Hippos are semi-aquatic, meaning they spend time on land and in the water. They are found in shallow lakes, rivers and swamps across eastern, central and southern sub-Saharan Africa.

How long do they live?

Approximately 55 years in the wild and in zoos.

What do they eat?

Hippos are herbivores (plant-eaters) and mainly eat grass. They leave the water at night to graze for 4-5 hours in grassy areas near the water. While they prefer to eat near the water, they will travel several kilometres to find food if they need to. Hippos have also been observed on a few occasions eating dead animals, however, their bodies are not suited to eating meat so this is likely not a common behaviour.

Group name

Herd

Zoo location

African Plains

Closest related species / sister species

The closest relative of the common hippo is the only other species of hippo, the pygmy hippo.

Animal class

Mammalia

Animal order

Cetartiodactyla

Fun facts

Underwater sounds

Hippos make a variety of sounds including honking, grunting and bellowing. They can even make sounds underwater. They are the only animals that are known to do this!

Adaptations

Hippos have many adaptations for their semi-aquatic lifestyle. In the water they mostly stay in shallow water, and move by walking along the water bed. Their eyes, ears and nostrils are high on their head, allowing them to breathe and stay alert to their surroundings while they are still completely submerged in the water. Despite their size, they can also move surprisingly quickly on land.

Important Role

Hippos play an important role in their ecosystem. This is because a huge amount of nutrients are released into the water through their dung, which provides food for the other animals that live in the water. As they move from the water to the land, they also create ‘hippo paths’ that water can flow through during wet seasons, creating habitats for small fish during droughts.

Blood Sweat

Hippos secrete an oily red substance called "blood sweat" through their skin. This substance protects the hippo’s skin from the sun, and can also prevent the growth of bacteria that cause disease.

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Family Life

Hippos are social animals; they live in herds of about 20 to 200 individuals. The females are the leaders of the herd, while the males rest along the water bank protecting the females and calves. Young stay feeding from their mother for around a year and females tend to have young every 2 years.

Baby name

Calf

Gestation period

Approximately 8 months

Number of young at birth

Usually 1

Weight at birth

Approximately 20-55 kg

Age at maturity

Hippos usually reach maturity around 3.5 years of age.

Size male adult

Adult males weigh approximately 3.5 tonnes (3,500 kg s) and are approximately 150-165 cm tall.

Size female adult

Females are a similar height to males but weigh much less, approximately 1.5 tonnes (1,500 kgs).

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Conservation

Vulnerable

The hippopotamus is classified as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Current population estimate

Approximately 115,000 to 130,000.

Threats

The main threats facing hippos are habitat loss due to agriculture and building developments, climate change (causing drought), man-made changes to rivers and lakes (e.g. dams), hunting, and human disturbance (e.g. war, civil unrest).

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FAQs

  • What do hippopotamus eat?

    Hippos are herbivores (plant-eaters) and mainly eat grass. The leave the water at night to graze for 4-5 hours in grassy areas near the water.

  • How much does a hippopotamus weigh?

    Usually between 1.5 tonnes (female) and 3.5 tonnes (male).

  • What sound does a hippopotamus make?

    Hippos make a variety of sounds including honking, grunting and bellowing

  • What does hippopotamus mean?

    In Greek, it means “river horse”.

  • Where do hippopotamus live?

    Hippos are found in shallow lakes, rivers and swamps across eastern, central and southern sub-Saharan Africa. They leave the water to go ashore to feed on grassy areas along the banks of the water.

  • How long can a hippopotamus stay under water?

    Hippos can hold their breath for up to 5 minutes.

  • What is a baby hippopotamus called?

    A calf

  • What is the gestation period of a hippopotamus?

    Approximately 8 months.

  • Do hippopotamus eat meat?

    Hippos do are herbivores (plant-eaters) and their diet is mainly made up of grass. They have been observed on a few occasions eating dead animals, however their bodies are not suited to eating meat so this is likely not a common behaviour.

  • What is a group of hippopotamus called?

    A group of hippos is called a herd.

  • How many toes does a hippopotamus have?

    Hippos have four toes; they are even-toed ungulates (animals with hooves).

  • How tall is a hippopotamus?

    Hippos can vary in length, from 209cm to 505cm including a tail of about 35cm in length. They are approximately 150-165cm tall.

  • Where do hippopotamus live in Africa?

    Hippos live in eastern, Central and southern sub-saharan Africa.

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