Only in Africa, where hippos are born, are nature created the most favorable conditions for their existence. No other continent can boast of such large animals, spending the bulk of their lives in water.
Why is hippo a hippo in Russian?
The name of the animal - Hippopotamus amphibius - was given by Carl Linnaeus. Hippo is translated from Greek as a river horse, and amphibius - amphibian - living in two environments, on the ground (where it feeds) and in water, where a hippopotamus is born and spends most of the day.
It is called a hippopotamus in the countries of the former Soviet Union. As early as the 18th century, in Russia the hippo was so called. And already from the Russian language it migrated to the Ukrainian, Belarusian and all other languages of the USSR. The word “hippopotamus” came from the Bible, where one of two huge monsters (the first Leviathan), created by God as the personification of carnal desires, appears under this name. (It is in this context that the word "hippo" is used in all other languages.)
Hippo Comparative Sizes
The common hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) is considered one of the largest animals in the world, in the first place is an elephant, in second is a rhinoceros. The habitat of the latter is the same lowlands of the continent where the hippopotamus is born. The weight of a large old male is on average four tons. Females weigh as much as ten as males. And then the males gain weight faster, although both of them grow all their lives.
In Europe, the largest animal is considered to be a polar bear: the largest (ever weighed) male was 1003 kg, although animals usually walk on the ice of the Arctic no heavier than half a ton.
The climatic conditions and the rich food supply of the territories where hippos are born allow them to grow and gain such a gigantic weight. The height at the withers of the males is only 1.65 meters, but the length is 3 m on average, specimens up to 5.5 meters were seen.
Life in the herd
Despite the fame of the hippopotamus as an animal, its behavior and lifestyle are relatively poorly studied. This is prevented by the fact that animals spend daylight hours in water. The life of the hippo obeys a strict routine: during the day he sleeps or dozes, periodically reflexively floating up for inspiration (after 2-10 minutes), at night he goes to the shore of a reservoir for eating grass and leaves.
Hippos walk on trails to feed, and the direction may not change for years. They trample ruts to a depth of half a meter. In those places where herds of hippos live for a long time, deep wide paths are laid even on rocky shores.
Females live in a harem, where only one adult male dominates. The herd population reaches 20-30 individuals. For possession of a harem males fight. The winner passes all the numerous "economy". Females (according to a few observations) do not change the harem. The herd is kept compact enough, females without babies outside, inside - cubs with moms. It is impossible to get through the outer fence even to the dominant male. Such protection is needed because small animals can easily be trampled by an awkward male (or eaten by a stranger).
Where are hippos born?
Females are ready for mating already 7 years after birth, males - from 6 to 14 years. (For information: it is believed that in natural conditions hippos live up to forty years, in zoos - much longer, examples of sixty centenarians are known.)
The study of the issue of the birth of hippos in natural conditions is extremely low. According to the observations of the inhabitants of Africa, hippos are born under water more often than on land.
The female before childbirth usually moves away from the herd, choosing a shallow reservoir where a hippopotamus is born. The kid usually weighs an average of 40 to 50 kg, always one is born. The mother must immediately push him to the surface, otherwise he may drown.
During childbirth on the shore, the female prepares a "nest", densely trampling grass and bushes. Five minutes after birth, he can easily move on land.
What kind of little hippos are they?
The kids are 1 m long and shoulder height is up to 60 cm. Weight can be from 27 to 50 kg. Since hippos are born under water, the mother must very often push the newborn out of the water: he can hold his breath for only 40 seconds.
In the first ten days after birth, the nursing female does not approach the herd, protecting the cub. She can even eat nothing for several days, being next to the cub until he learns to go ashore on his own.
The kid sucks her both on land and in water, clutching her ears and closing her nostrils.
The little hippo stays with the mother for up to 18 months, and this is how much her lactation period lasts.
Hippos are born under water
Photo and video surveillance of the life of these wild animals, taken by numerous tourists and visitors to the zoos, are constantly posted on the Internet. This is documentary evidence that hippos are born both in water and on land. The process of childbirth does not look excruciating; rather, its spontaneity and transience is surprising.
The first hippopotamus was brought to the London Zoo in 1880. Now almost every large menagerie boasts not only the presence of hippos, but also the appearance of their offspring. In Russia, the hippopotamus was first born in the zoo of St. Petersburg in 1880. And during the years of World War II, a healthy baby was born in the Moscow Zoological Garden.
Modern zoos, where hippos are born under water, have spacious ponds. These animals attract a large number of visitors who stand idle in front of the aviaries for hours.
