They are semi aquatic animal, which means they spend most of their time. submerged in the water. They can stay underwater for a long period of time. and they can even sleep underwater.
Hippos spend about 16 hours a day in the water. While awake, they can hold their breath for up to five minutes. While they sleep in the water, they surface automatically and breathe without waking up.
They are not standing or floating when you see them sleeping but rather laying flat on their bellies. It does not mean however that the entire water body is shallow it just means that where the hippo are resting there is a small sand bank or island.
So, they spend most of their day in the water or mud to keep cool, wet, and protect their delicate skin. When basking on the shore, they secrete an oily red sweat-like substance that moistens their skin, repels water, and protects them from the sun and germs.
Hippos also have a set of built-in goggles: a clear membrane covers their eyes for protection while still allowing them to see when underwater. Their nostrils close, and they can hold their breath for five minutes or longer when submerged.
Hippos are known to defend their territory, both in and out of the water. Mothers are particularly defensive and aggressive if anyone gets between them and their young.
This secretion is though neither sweat nor blood. Hippos actually don't have sweat glands like many other mammals do. This thick, oily fluid is secreted from special mucous glands in hippo skin. It is initially colourless, but quickly turns red-orange , eventually becoming darkish brown.
While many carnivores (even birds) can eat a hippo's meat, very few can kill a hippo on their own. Since a single bite from a hippo can crush a lion as if it is nothing, lions can only hunt a hippo in a bigger group. Besides lions, the Spotted Hyena and the Nile crocodile are the other predators of hippopotamuses.
Although their bulk and toothy armoury usually ensure that they do not become victims of nocturnal hunters, even hippos fall prey to lions on occasion.
The third-largest land mammal on land the Hippo has nothing to be afraid of any other animal except for elephants and of course themselves. They are not even afraid of adult white rhinos. They are big bullies which are not afraid of anything. They sometimes even charge at bull elephants.
Hippos can drink up to 56 gallons of water a day. Hippos can spend up to 16 hours a day in the water to help their skin from burning in the sun. In addition to all the water they drink, their main diet consists of plants including short grass and fruits when available.
Hippos can't swim, despite spending a lot of time in rivers and lakes. Hippos cannot breathe underwater or float either, according to National Geographic. Due to hippos' dense bone structure and heavy bodies, hippos sink in water, according to BBC Earth. This makes it hard for the animals to swim.
6) Despite their enormous size, hippos are great swimmers and can hold their breath for up to five minutes underwater. When completely submerged, their ears and nostrils fold shut to keep water out.
Many people think that hippos eat meat because they're so large in size. However, hippos are actually herbivores, meaning they only feed on plants. The majority of their diet consists of short grasses, but they will eat fruit if it's available.
Hippos are primarily herbivorous, meaning they eat only plants, but they have been observed to engage in omnivorous behavior. Live Science says hippos have a “mostly herbivorous appetite,” made up of about 80 pounds of grass each night, as well as fruits found during nightly scavenges.
The brain size of a hippo is 1/2789, which is the ratio of simple brain to body size. This ratio ranks behind elephants, horses and sharks, but is still a relatively intelligent size. Compared to these other animals they may not seem smart, but they are highly efficient in their habitats.
But in the rivers, lakes, and wetlands of Africa, hippos are still the alpha. They are simply too big for crocs to get their mouths around. Even if a crocodile were to grab a hippo's leg and deploy its go-to move, the death roll, it would likely fail to budge its much larger neighbor.
The hippopotamus is a very aggressive wild creature and is the deadliest large land mammal on the planet. It is estimated that hippo attacks kill 500 people each year in Africa. It is not only their size and weight that makes them dangerous, but also their very sharp teeth!
Hippos lack sweat glands, but they use specialised subdermal glands to secrete a slimy substance that turns from red to brown as the pigment molecules polymerise. The slime helps keep the animals cool, and scientists suspected it had antibacterial and sunscreen properties too.
Hippos milk is bright pink. The reason is that the hippo secretes two kinds of unique acids called “Hipposudoric acid” and “Norhipposudoric acid”. The former is reddish in color and often known as “blood sweat”, although it is neither blood nor sweat. The latter is is bright orange.
Nile crocodiles, lions, and spotted hyenas are known to prey on young hippos. Beyond these, adult hippos are not usually preyed upon by other animals due to their aggression and size. Cases where large lion prides have successfully preyed on adult hippos have been reported, but it is generally rare.
If you've attracted unwanted attention, Muruthi said to always remember you cannot outrun a hippo. They may look sluggish, but they can run 30 mph (almost 43 kph). Instead, you should try to climb a tree or find an obstacle to put between you and the hippo such as a rock or anthill.
The only two predators known to take down hippos are the large Nile crocodiles, which are known to attack and kill hippos. In some cases, crocodiles may target young or weakened hippos. Lions have also been observed attacking hippos, particularly calves or individuals that are sick or injured.
