Common Hippopotamus ( Hippopotamus amphibius )
Common Hippopotamus - Common Hippopotamus information - Common Hippopotamus facts, pictures, photos
Hippopotamus amphibious can be found in Sub-Saharan parts of Africa, especially in the Nile river valley. It has got brownish colour. It is a huge mammal weighing over 4 000 kilograms. Although it looks pretty massive it is definitely not clumsy! Its height is approximately 1.6 meters and its length about 5 meters. Its tail is up to 60 cm long.
The hippopotamus does not eat meat at all. It usually feeds on grass, water-plankton etc. It inhabits lowlands and grasslands with enough water supplies. Its weight enables it to sink down to the river bottom and walk on it in order to find food. On land it is often found in small groups of 20 animals while the female hippo is a leader. Males usually fight between themselves using their sharp canine teeth and often injure themselves. These injuries may be so severe that some of them even die. The hippos are mostly active at night.
Hippopotamus amphibious reaches its sexual maturity at the age of 14-15 years. The mating occurs all year long. After the gestation period lasting 7-8 months one calf is born. The baby hippo weighs up to 50 kg.
The Hippopotamus is a dangerous animal to humans, because it occasionally attacks them. It may also cause some serious agricultural damage. Some people hunt them because of food and valuable teeth.
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