The hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) (; pl.: hippopotamuses; , also shortened to hippo (pl.: hippos), further qualified as the common hippopotamus, Nile hippopotamus, or river hippopotamus, is a large mammal native to . It is one of only two in the , the other being the (Choeropsis liberiensis or Hexaprotodon liberiensis). Its name comes from the for "river horse"
After and , the hippopotamus is the next . It is also the largest extant land animal. Despite their physical resemblance to and other terrestrial even-toed ungulates, the closest living relatives of the hippopotamids are cetaceans, from which they diverged about 55 million years ago. Hippos are recognisable for their barrel-shaped torsos, wide-opening mouths with large tusks, nearly hairless bodies, pillar-like legs, and large size: adults average 1,500 kg (3,300 lb) for bulls (males) and 1,300 kg (2,900 lb) for cows (females). Despite its stocky shape and short legs, it is capable of running 30 km/h (19 mph) over short distances.
Hippos inhabit rivers, lakes, and swamps. bulls each preside over a stretch of water and a group of five to thirty cows and calves. and birth both occur in the water. During the day, hippos remain cool by staying in water or mud, emerging at dusk to graze on grasses. While hippos rest near each other in the water, grazing is a solitary activity and hippos typically do not display territorial behaviour on land. Hippos are among the most dangerous animals in the world due to their aggressive and unpredictable nature.
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Animals On Earth: Africa
RandomHere's the second book of the Animals On Earth Series, this time it's about African Animals which includes the likes of Elephants, crocodiles, lions, meerkats, mongooses, warthogs, caracals, cheetahs, ostritches, rhinos, tick-birds, buffalo, gazzele...
