Page 76 - Present Day Wildlife_Float

There are two species of true hippopotami the large common hippopotamus native
to sub-Saharan Africa in the genus Hippopotamus*, and the Pygmy Hippopotamus native
to West Africa, in the Genus Choeropsis**. Both species are the only extant members of the
family hippopotamidae. As their names suggest their sizes are quite different. The large com-
mon Hippo is around 3 to 5.05 meters in length and 1.30 to 1.65 metres tall at the shoulders
and 1,480 kg in weight. The pygmy is around 150 to 175 cm in length and about 75 to 100 cm
tall at the shoulder, and weighs 180 to 275 kg.

*Genus Hippopotamus – true hippopota
muses
Hippopotamus amphibius – hippopota
mus (Africa)
Hippopotamus lemerlei – Lemerle's
dwarf hippopotamus
Hippopotamus madagascariensis –
Madagascan dwarf hippopotamus
**Genus Choeropsis – pygmy hippopota
muses
Choeropsis liberiensis – pygmy hippo
potamus (west Africa, in Sierra Leone,
Guinea, and Ivory Coast)

After the elephant and white rhino, the
common hippo is one of the largest land
mammals on Earth. It has a solid rounded
body; large head with huge powerful jaws
that it can open to around 180°. Its lower
jaw has a set of incisors and canines that are
continuously growing, with the incisors reaching 40 cm and the canines around 50 cm in
length. Its eyes and ears, are situated on the top of its scull. This allows it, when in the water, to
remain submerged with only its eyes and ears showing on the surface. When totally submerged
it can close off its nostrils and ears and has a special membrane over its eyes for protection.
Hippos can also stay submerged for around five
minutes before having to come up for air. They can’t
float and although they have webbed toes, they are
poor swimmers. Although they live a solitary lifestyle,
when on land male hippos are sociable animals and
are not territorial. However, when in the water they
are very territorial, and will attack any intruder, even
boats and humans, if they enter its area.

Hippos prefer to inhabit freshwater rivers,
lakes, and swamps, but are occasionally found in
wide river estuaries. Being herbivores they like to in-
habit waters close to their main source of food; for
the common hippo this is grassland, but the pygmy,
which is a forest dweller, this is herbs, ferns, broad-
leaved plants even fruit. They can’t jump, and are
poor climbers so, if possible, they tend to pick areas
where access to water is easy and the banks of rivers
and lakes slope gently; though, they are known to clamber up and down rocky and steep slopes.
In the blistering African sun their skin quickly dries out, so hippos spend a lot of time wallow-
ing in water, hence their nickname; ‘water horse’. They do most of their foraging for food in the
twilight hours and during the night. In its search for edible grasses the common hippo is
known to cover a distance of around 3 to 5 km in one night, while the pygmy, winding its way
through dense forest, covers a much shorter distance. When on land hippos tend to walk with
an awkward strutting motion. However, if they choose to run, hippos, even with their short legs
can move very fast; with the common hippo reaching a speed of around 48km/h, and the pyg-
my an incredible 29 to 30km/h.