Hippopotamus amphibius
The river hippopotamus is a massively built animal with a big head, broad muzzle and barrel-shaped body with short legs. Sometimes the body is colored slightly red by a gland secretion, giving rise to an old superstition that hippos "sweat blood." It is a protection against the sun and probably against infection. Hippos swim very well and dive for periods averaging 5-6 minutes. Hippo babies are frequently born underwater, and nurse underwater as well. They live in groups of 5-15 (sometimes up to 30) which may at times join together into larger herds.
They feed during five or six hours of the night, almost entirely on terrestrial vegetation - short grasses which are obtained by a plucking motion of the broad lips. Here at the zoo their diet is similar with a vitamin mineral supplement.
Until recent times hippos ranged throughout most of Africa. Because of hunting and the spread of farms, they have disappeared from many areas. Today they live mostly in central and southern Africa, along rivers, lakes and ponds bordered by grassland. The hippo is unusual for the way its daytime and nighttime activities take place in different habitats - daytime activities in water, nighttime on land.
The river hippopotamus is a massively built animal with a big head, broad muzzle and barrel-shaped body with short legs. Sometimes the body is colored slightly red by a gland secretion, giving rise to an old superstition that hippos "sweat blood." It is a protection against the sun and probably against infection. Hippos swim very well and dive for periods averaging 5-6 minutes. Hippo babies are frequently born underwater, and nurse underwater as well. They live in groups of 5-15 (sometimes up to 30) which may at times join together into larger herds.
They feed during five or six hours of the night, almost entirely on terrestrial vegetation - short grasses which are obtained by a plucking motion of the broad lips. Here at the zoo their diet is similar with a vitamin mineral supplement.
Until recent times hippos ranged throughout most of Africa. Because of hunting and the spread of farms, they have disappeared from many areas. Today they live mostly in central and southern Africa, along rivers, lakes and ponds bordered by grassland. The hippo is unusual for the way its daytime and nighttime activities take place in different habitats - daytime activities in water, nighttime on land.
