Hippos are solid animals that live in Africa. They represent the class Mammals and belong to the artiodactyl order. Many believe that the origin of hippos (hippos) is associated with pigs.
In fact, the animal is more likely to resemble cetaceans. The one who first sees the hippo will be struck by its thick body, resembling the shape of a barrel. The animal has short but massive legs, on which there are four-toed hooves.
Between themselves they are united by a strong film. This makes it easier for the animal to move through mud places, during which the fingers move apart. The film does not allow the hippo to fall into the viscous soil.
The maximum weight of the hippo
Travelers admit that the hippo inspires thoughts of its indomitability and power. After all, the largest hippo weighs 4 tons! Males are larger than females, although at the very beginning of development, females outstrip them in growth.
But after reaching puberty, the growth rate decreases, and males continue to grow for many years. The body length of the hippo reaches 4.5 meters. The average weight of a hippo ranges from 2.5 to 3 tons.
Despite its impressive body weight, a solid beast is able to accelerate to 48 kilometers per hour! This is truly a destructive force that can sweep everything in its path.
Body structure features
Perhaps you should pay attention to the fact that the eyes, ears and nostrils of a hippopotamus are almost in line. This allows the animal to simultaneously see, hear and breathe under water.
Hippos are naturally endowed with a gray-brown color, which slightly reflects pink, sometimes purple hues. There is no hairline on the skin of the animal. Only on the muzzle and tail does a small stubble grow.
The hippo skin has specific glands that secrete a red secret. More often this happens after bathing the beast. Scientists believe that this is an antiseptic that protects the animal from harmful bacteria.
Interestingly, the hippopotamus is able to open its mouth in such a way that an angle of about 150 degrees is formed between the jaws! If we take into account the fact that the maximum weight of a hippopotamus in kilograms is simply huge (4000 kg), such a spectacle is not at all for the faint of heart!
The teeth in the mouth of the animal are located far from each other. They have no roots and grow throughout life. The longest hippo canine reaches almost 20 centimeters. It is no less popular than elephant.
Habitat
Hippos choose shallow places - ponds up to 1.5 meters. The coast should be covered with dense vegetation. Probably, many watched in television shows that animals do not completely submerge under water.
They simply lazily move along the bottom, showing part of the body and head. But this does not mean that hippos are bad swimmers. Even the heaviest animals (max. Weight of a hippopotamus - 4 tons) move perfectly in a pond. When diving, they can survive under water for about 5 minutes.
The animal finds food on land. A hippopotamus gets out of the water to the surface and consumes plant foods for several hours.
Hippo lifestyle
This is a herd animal. A group of hippos lives in a certain area of the reservoir and consists of a mature male, surrounded by 10-20 females with a younger generation. Males from different herds often show aggression towards each other, arranging deadly fights.
In such a fight, the maximum weight of the hippo is important. If the attacker exceeds the owner of the herd with his body weight, then he has great chances to defeat the opponent and appropriate all the females and babies.
Hippos are known to make sounds. Usually they use them as signals: mooing - attracting the opposite sex. A roar accompanied by a snort means that the hippo is angry and ready to attack. Even under water, animals make sounds similar to dolphins.
Hippos are most active at night. At this time, their skin is protected from ultraviolet rays. It does not dry or crack.
With the onset of darkness, animals go to pasture. Consumption leaves 70 kg of grass per day (if the maximum weight of a hippopotamus in kg is 4000). These heavy animals have a long digestive tract, so such a large amount of food is digested without much difficulty. In the daytime, hippos prefer to doze peacefully.
The mating season and the fruit of love
Females reach puberty at the age of 7 years, males by 9 years. Animals mate twice a year: in February and August. Pregnancy lasts approximately 8 months. A female gives birth to a calf in shallow water.
The length of the newborn is 120 centimeters. The maximum weight of a baby hippo reaches 50 kilograms! Here is such a large cub.
The hippo quickly passes through the period of adaptation and after a day walks next to his mother. But still the calf is vulnerable. It can be pressed by a male inadvertently.
In addition, various predators are not averse to hunting for a baby hippo. Therefore, the female protects him for a long time. In case of danger, she closes the cub with her massive body. The maximum weight of a female hippo reaches 3.5 tons.
