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| SCIENTIFIC
CLASSIFICATION |
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| COMMON
NAME: |
hippopotamus |
| KINGDOM: |
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| PHYLUM: |
Chordata |
| CLASS: |
Mammalia |
| ORDER: |
Artiodactyla |
| FAMILY: |
Hippopotamidae |
| GENUS
SPECIES: |
Hippopotamus
(horse, a river) amphibius (on both sides,
living) |
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| DESCRIPTION: |
Huge
gray bulky body with a large head. Its facial features
somewhat resemble those of a pig. |
| MALE |
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| FEMALE |
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| SIZE: |
3.96
to 4.57 m. (13-15 ft.) long; 1.52 m. (5 ft.) high
at the shoulder |
| MALE |
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| FEMALE |
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| WEIGHT: |
1,800
to 3,600 kg (4,000-8,000 lb.) |
| MALE |
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| FEMALE |
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| DIET: |
Herbivores,
prefer short grasses of the African plains |
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| GESTATION: |
8
months |
| ESTRAL
PERIOD |
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| NURSING
DURATION |
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| SEXUAL
MATURITY: |
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| MALE |
At
7 yrs. |
| FEMALE |
At
9 yrs. |
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| LIFE
SPAN: |
20
to 40 years; 50 years in captivity |
| MALE |
|
| FEMALE |
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| RANGE: |
West
and East Central Africa; extinct in northern and
southern parts of original range |
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| HABITAT: |
Rivers
and lakes in grasslands; found mainly in large populations
on preserves |
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| STATUS: |
IUCN |
text |
| CITES |
Protected |
| USFWS |
text |
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| 1. |
Hippos
were once thought to sweat blood. Actually, hippos
secrete a pinkish colored oil that helps them keep
their skin moist in the hot African climate. |
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| 2. |
Hippos
spend most of their days in the water or wallowing
in the mud, generally coming up on land to feed
at night. |
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| 3. |
Hippos
are efficient grazers - their lips are almost 70
cm. or about two feet wide! |
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| 4. |
Baby
hippos swim the moment they are born because they
are born underwater. And female hippos will actually
baby-sit a group of other female's babies. |
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| Hippos
defecate in the water. Their dung provides essential
basic elements for the food chain. Tiny microorganisms
feed on it and then larger animals feed on those
organisms. On land, hippos' large bodies make trails
through vegetation that other animals may use for
easy access to water holes. Because hippos' favorite
food is short grass, they keep these grasses well
trimmed which may help to deter grassfires. Hippos
are an important part of the African ecosystem.
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| |
|
|
| Brust,
Beth W. Zoobooks: Hippos. San Diego: Wildlife
Education, Ltd., 1989. |
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| MacDonald,
David (ed.). The Encyclopedia of Mammals.
Vol. 2. London: George, Allen & Unwin, 1984. |
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| Parker,
Sybil P. (ed.). Grzimek's Encyclopedia of Mammals.
Vol. 5. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1990. |
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| Redmond,
Ian. "Africa's Four-Legged Whale," Wildlife
Conservation.Jan.-Feb. 1991, pp. 60-69. |
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