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Hippos: Interesting Facts – Amazing Nature
25.01.2024 23:00
Updated: 13.05.2024 21:21
Currently, the hippopotamus lives only in sub-Saharan Africa.
What can a hippopotamus do
Hippos swim quickly, can dive, sink like a stone, drift like a log, and, when completely submerged, run along the bottom at speeds of up to 13 km/h.
When feeding, the animal often does not surface for 2 minutes, and if necessary, it can remain under water for half an hour.
An adult hippopotamus can stay under water for a very long time, holding its breath usually for 3-5 minutes, often up to 6 minutes and even up to 10 minutes.
An angry hippopotamus is capable of developing enormous 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 hippopotamus is man.
What does a hippo eat
This is an extremely rare sight: these aquatic giants primarily feed on plants, nat-geo.ru reports.
Hippopotamuses are very selective when it comes to food: they don’t even eat algae, they are interested in semi-aquatic or terrestrial grass.
An animal can eat 40-70 kg of food per day.
Hippos are able to distinguish a member of their own or neighboring group from a stranger by their voice.
This conclusion was reached by zoologists who conducted a number of field experiments in Mozambique.
Lifestyle
The life of hippos is subject to a strict circadian rhythm. Hippos spend most of the daylight hours in the water, where they sleep or doze in the shallows, almost submerged and with only the upper part of their head and back exposed.
At nightfall they go out to feed and return at dawn.
Hippos live in small herds of 6-15 animals.
Hippos are peace-loving creatures and never attack first.
Nevertheless, if the boundaries of their territory are violated, they bravely enter into battle even with crocodiles and put them to flight. Giraffes live in Africa - the tallest animals.
Previously, we talked about why nature needs fish.
