The mighty hippos, they are hippos, only seem to be such awkward bumps. In fact, these huge animals have a quick-tempered character and are very dangerous, especially if someone has the imprudence to disturb them. On the other hand, hippos by themselves do not harm anyone – they only protect themselves and their territory, which is steadily shrinking due to the expansion of human civilization.
In the African country of Sudan, hippos are considered to be the creatures of evil, and therefore local residents are afraid of them and bypass. In the world there are dwarf hippos that are 12-15 times inferior to their full-sized brothers. True, they still weigh about two hundred pounds. Hippos have stronger teeth than any other living creature on Earth. Once upon a time, dwarf hippos were found on the Mediterranean islands, in particular in Cyprus, but there they became extinct long ago. Hippo meat is quite edible. Moreover, paleontologists have established that the ancestors of modern people hunted them for meat several million years ago. Despite the fact that hippos spend most of their life in water, they feed only on the vegetation that grows on land, but they don’t eat aquatic plants.
A furious hippo is capable of developing tremendous speed, so even a professional athlete will not be able to escape from it. The only living creature in the world that poses a threat to an adult hippo is humans. Hippopotamus skin is unique in that it secretes a special enzyme that helps disinfect wounds. An excellent natural mechanism, given that hippos often fight and inflict more or less serious wounds on each other. A newborn baby hippo weighs an average of about 50 kg. Hippos often ruin fields in the countryside. In Ancient Egypt, they, and not the locusts, were considered the scourge of the fields. In the stomach of an adult hippo, up to 200 kg of digestible food can be at the same time. The female hippo is not able to become pregnant for 15-18 months after the birth of the cub.
Some tribes in Africa make dentures from hippo teeth. Despite the fact that hippos always violently defend their own offspring, they can easily kill alien cubs. The skin of an adult hippo weighs up to 500 kg, which amounts to one-eighth of the weight of its entire body. Hippos are able to sweat, and their sweat is reddish-pink. The pupils of these animals are unique in that they are T-shaped. In Africa, hippos kill people more often than crocodiles. Despite the fact that, if possible, hippos constantly eat, if necessary, they can do without food for 15-20 days. Hunting hippos is officially banned in all countries, but some African tribes, leading a close to primitive lifestyle, continue to hunt them. The skin of these animals reaches 3.5-4 cm in thickness.
In well-fed hippos, their belly sags so much that they can touch the ground when walking. Their lifespan can reach approximately 50 years. Hippos, on occasion, do not mind eating a gaping antelope or even a crocodile. Their skin is harder than any other animal. It is even tougher than elephants. An adult hippo eats 50-60 kg of food per day. Hippos are ways to develop running speeds of up to 30 kilometers per hour. True, from such efforts they quickly expire. Older individuals often starve to death after their teeth grind completely and they can no longer grind plant foods. Hippos grow throughout life.
Hippos are usually waited for in the water in the daytime, and grazed on land come out at night. Often during the night they travel more than 10 kilometers in search of food. Typically, the females of these animals give birth to cubs on land, but sometimes they do this in water. Why is not known. If an adult hippo opens its mouth, the distance from its upper to lower jaw can reach one and a half meters. Hippos have rather poor eyesight, but they have excellent hearing. Moreover, in the water they hear no worse than on land. Hippos live only in fresh water. If necessary, hippos can hold their breath for up to five minutes, diving under water. Attacking hippos is avoided even by adults and large crocodiles. An adult hippo can weigh more than 4 tons. From the point of view of zoology, the closest relatives of these animals are whales. Some African tribes process hippo skin in such a way that after that it is used for polishing diamonds. But this is a long process, and it takes up to five to six years.
