HIPPOPOTAMUS
The hippopotamus, also called the hippo, common hippopotamus or river hippopotamus, is a large, mostly herbivorous, semiaquatic mammal and ungulate native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is one of only two extant species in the family Hippopotamidae, the other being the pygmy hippopotamus. The name comes from the ancient Greek for "river horse" (ἱπποπόταμος).
After the elephant and rhinoceros, the hippopotamus is the third-largest type of land mammal and the heaviest extant artiodactyl (in the traditional, non-cladistic sense of the term, excluding cetaceans). Despite their physical resemblance to pigs and other terrestrial even-toed ungulates, the closest living relatives of the Hippopotamidae are cetaceans (whales, dolphins, porpoises, etc.), from which they diverged about 55 million years ago.
The hippo is among the most dangerous animals in the world due to its highly aggressive and unpredictable nature. They are threatened by habitat loss and poaching for their meat and ivory canine teeth.
Like most herbivores, hippos will consume a variety of plants if presented with them, but their diet in nature consists almost entirely of grass, with only minimal consumption of aquatic plants. Hippos are born with sterile intestines, and require bacteria obtained from their mothers' feces to digest vegetation.
| SPEED : | 48 Km/h (Maximum,On land, Running) |
|---|---|
| HEIGHT : | 1,3 - 1,6 m (Adult, At Shoulder) |
| LIFESPAN : | 40 - 50 years |
| CLASS : | Mammalia |
| KINGDOM : | Animalia |
| FAMILY : | Hippopotamidae |
| MASS : | 1300 - 1800 Kg (Adults) |
WHERE WILL YOU FIND THEM:
You can find them at pod 2, opposite the crocodiles.
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