Did you know?

• The unlikely cousin of a whale is the only mammal with an amphibious call.
• Hippos can neither swim nor breathe underwater! Instead, they walk on the bottom of the riverbed.
• Their name, hippopotamus, is derived from an ancient Greek word meaning “horse of the river,” but hippos are not at all related to horses.
• Grass is their favorite food; in just one night, they can gobble up to 35kg (77lb) of grass( typically do not eat aquatic vegetation). The main reason for nocturnal feeding adaptation may be thermoregulation.
• They are one of the largest land animals on Earth and can weigh up to 3,200kg (7,000 lb). That’s as much as two compact SUVs!
• Their skin may crack if exposed to the air or sun for long periods and must remain moist, so they require some form of a permanent water source.
• Complex bellows and grunts are used for signaling and can be transmitted simultaneously through air and water.
• Their sweat glands secrete a red oily substance which acts as natural sun/UV-block as well as antibiotic, plus it won’t wash out in the water!
• African at-risk wildlife, like elephants and rhinos, have organizations focused on their conservation, creating good chances for species survival. There is no organization working on the conservation of hippos.
• In the 19th century hippo teeth were used as piano keys and artificial teeth.