Hippopotamus
This wicked big wicked loud and wicked strong animal the Greeks called the “River horse” is an amazing creature that can run up to 14 mph, open its mouth to 4 feet wide and can hold its breath for 5 minutes. It’s called the Hippopotamus.
Hippopotamus
Diet
All and all the diet of a hippo can be really boring. It can eat up to 88 pounds of grass throughout one night. It cannot stand meat but it’s one of Africa’s 10 most dangerous animal.
Habitat
The hippo lives in west, east, south, and central Africa. The hippo lives in slow rivers and ponds. Each year the same family returns to the same spot. If that spots dries up one summer they will find a new spot, but will return eventually to their familiar spot. Hippos travel in groups that are called schools. In these schools there is one giant male hippo that leads the pack and fights off any rivaling male hippos. The female hippos protect the calves.
Adaptions
The hippo adapted to many different things in the wild, such as blood sweat and holding breath for five minutes and lots of others. The hippo uses blood sweat to prevent their skin drying out and overheating. Hippos don’t actually sweat blood, they sweat red goop to keep in in; so it’s pretty much like sunscreen. They can also run up to 14 MPH, open its mouth to 4 FT wide and lots more. Hippos are related to pigs, whales and dolphins. The skin on a hippo weighs up to 1 ½ tons itself! Bet that you did not know that hippos’ lips are 2 feet wide! The hammerhead storks use hippos as perches to search for food in the river. The ox pecker bird eats the parasites off of their skin.
With all their time in the water, people would think the hippo is an excellent swimmer but the hippo cannot swim. The hippo can hold its breath up to 30 minutes. It holds its breath and walks on the bottom of the small river. The hippo’s eye, ears and nose are located on top of its head so it can breathe when most of its body is underwater. When a hippo is under water its ears and nose close up.
Life Cycle
When a baby hippo is born it weighs 60 to 110 pounds. That is heavier than an average 7 year old! It is born underwater and only one hippo is born at a time. It takes 5-7 years for a hippo to mature. When it come times the adult hippos mate in the water. Hippos cannot live as long as humans but they can live up to 40 years. This 8,000 pound animal can grow up to 15 feet long. It is 4 ½ to 5 ½ feet tall.
Diet
All and all the diet of a hippo can be really boring. It can eat up to 88 pounds of grass throughout one night. It cannot stand meat but it’s one of Africa’s 10 most dangerous animal.
Habitat
The hippo lives in west, east, south, and central Africa. The hippo lives in slow rivers and ponds. Each year the same family returns to the same spot. If that spots dries up one summer they will find a new spot, but will return eventually to their familiar spot. Hippos travel in groups that are called schools. In these schools there is one giant male hippo that leads the pack and fights off any rivaling male hippos. The female hippos protect the calves.
Adaptions
The hippo adapted to many different things in the wild, such as blood sweat and holding breath for five minutes and lots of others. The hippo uses blood sweat to prevent their skin drying out and overheating. Hippos don’t actually sweat blood, they sweat red goop to keep in in; so it’s pretty much like sunscreen. They can also run up to 14 MPH, open its mouth to 4 FT wide and lots more. Hippos are related to pigs, whales and dolphins. The skin on a hippo weighs up to 1 ½ tons itself! Bet that you did not know that hippos’ lips are 2 feet wide! The hammerhead storks use hippos as perches to search for food in the river. The ox pecker bird eats the parasites off of their skin.
With all their time in the water, people would think the hippo is an excellent swimmer but the hippo cannot swim. The hippo can hold its breath up to 30 minutes. It holds its breath and walks on the bottom of the small river. The hippo’s eye, ears and nose are located on top of its head so it can breathe when most of its body is underwater. When a hippo is under water its ears and nose close up.
Life Cycle
When a baby hippo is born it weighs 60 to 110 pounds. That is heavier than an average 7 year old! It is born underwater and only one hippo is born at a time. It takes 5-7 years for a hippo to mature. When it come times the adult hippos mate in the water. Hippos cannot live as long as humans but they can live up to 40 years. This 8,000 pound animal can grow up to 15 feet long. It is 4 ½ to 5 ½ feet tall.
Resources
http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/AfricanSavanna/fact-hippo.cfhttp:/
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/animals/creaturefeature/hippopotamus/
http://www.sandiegozoo.org/
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/animals/creaturefeature/hippopotamus/
http://www.sandiegozoo.org/