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Hippopotamus Facts and Photos

The Hippopotamus or briefly Hippo (Hippopotamus amphibius) is one of the two extant species in the family Hippopotamidae. The name Hippopotamus comes from two Greek words that mean "River Horse". It's a semi-aquatic mammal which spend upto 18 hours in water to keep their bodies cool. It can stay submerged in water upto 5 minutes without breathing. Hippo is the 3rd Largest land animal after elephants and white rhinoceros. A hippo is 11 to 17 feet long and weighs from 2,300 to 3,600 kilograms. In extreme case the weight can reach upto 4,500 kg. On the average it is about 5 ft tall at the shoulder. The average life span is about 45 years. Females are smaller as compare to males. Hippo is a herbivorous, which mainly feeds on grasses. Hippos reproduce once every two years in the wild. Mating usually occurs in the water and childbirth may occurs in shallow water or on land. Gestation period is about 240 days (8 months).
Hippos are very aggressive and can be dangerous to humans. They commonly attack humans with no apparent provocation.

Hippopotamus - Hippopotamus amphibius
Hippopotamus Picture
Hippopotamus Picture
Hippopotamus Picture

2 comments:

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  2. Excellent shots and wonderful pictures.

    ReplyDelete

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