Species Name Hippopotamus amphibius

Family Hippopotamidae

Order Artiodactyla

Distribution

The hippo is found throughout the region of Africa below the Sahara to above the southernmost section. It is typically seen mainly in reserves in Western and Central Africa.

Habitat

Hippopotamuses like large to small bodies of water with flat banks bordering rich grassy plains and marshes of reeds. These rivers and lakes are not usually deep but have pools of slow moving waters and banks with good quality grazing.

Numbers

The hippo is extinct in many parts where it formerly roamed, but it now exists in protected parks. Man, with his clearing and killing activities, are the biggest threat to the hippopotamus.

Related Species

The pygmy hippopotamus (Choeropsis liberensis) is smaller than its large relative. A pygmy hippopotamus weighs about 180 kilograms and is about half the height of a normal hippopotamus. These hippos live in pairs instead of herds and spend most of their time on land searching for food, feeding on leaves, grasses, plant shoots and fruit. Their eyes are on the side of their heads and the skin oozes a clear liquid instead of a red one.

Interesting Facts

The word hippopotamus means ┐river horse┐ in Greek, as these animals are water-loving giants. Hippopotamuses were once thought to sweat blood. ┐The blood┐ though is actually a pinkish oil which protects the skin from both sun and water. The word hippopotamus means ┐water horse┐, but the hippo is more closely related to pigs than horses.