HIPPOPOTAMUS
HIPPOPOTAMUS
The hippototamus is one of the largest land mammals in the world. They live in and around the rivers and lakes of Africa, spending most of the day in the water and coming out on land during the night to find food.
Hippos are excellent swimmers and can stay underwater for up to 5 minutes. The ears, nose and eyes are on the top of the head, so they can breathe, see and hear while most of the body is underwater. Hippos’ toes are webbed, which helps them paddle through the water.
Hippos eat only plants like grasses and water plants.
Adult hippos can grow to be 12 to 15 feet tall and weigh 5,000 to 8,000 pounds. The only predators of these enormous animals are lions and crocodiles, and even then it is only the baby hippos that are in danger.
