The hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) (/ ˌ h ɪ p ə ˈ p ɒ t ə m ə s /; pl.: hippopotamuses; often shortened to hippo (pl.: hippos), further qualified as the common hippopotamus, Nile hippopotamus and river hippopotamus, is a large semiaquatic mammal native to …

Mar 10, 2011 · Hippopotamuses are large, semiaquatic mammals native to sub-Saharan Africa. Although their name comes from the Greek for “ river horse ”—because of the time they spend in the water—their closest...

Native to sub-Saharan Africa, river hippos are found in and around lakes, rivers, and mangroves, and are built for life in the water. With their eyes, ears, and nostrils on the top of their head, hippos can hear, see, and breathe while most of their body is underwater.

Feb 18, 2022 · Common hippos, also known as river hippos, are very rotund animals and are the third largest living land mammals, after elephants and white rhinos, according to the African Wildlife Foundation....

The hippopotamus, also known as the “river horse,” lives along the rivers and lakes throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Weighing up to 8,000 pounds, the hippo is the heaviest land animal after the elephant.

These semi-aquatic creatures live in and around lakes, rivers, and grassland swamps. There are two species of hippopotamuses, the common river hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibious) and the smaller pygmy hippopotamus (Choeropsis liberiensis). Hippos must keep their skin wet with mud or water for most of the day to stay hydrated.

A hippo is built for life in the water: its eyes, ears, and nostrils are on top of the head. The hippo can see, hear, and breathe while most of its body is underwater.

Watch a hippo, on land or in the water, and you’ll soon discover that this roly-poly is one of the world’s great characters. It is the most rotund land mammal and spends its daytime hours in lakes, pools, mudholes, or in the preferred moving waters of rivers.

River hippos live in mixed groups of up to 15 animals. During periods of drought, larger groups form around available water sources. Adult males establish and defend narrow territories consisting of a stretch of water and the adjacent land.

River hippos are herbivores. They feed upon the plants which grow near their water home with grasses forming a large part of their diet. At night hippos may travel up to 5km (3.1miles) to reach their grazing area. They mark a path out with dung to lead the way. Hippos do not need their large canine teeth to eat.