{"id":35948,"date":"2024-02-09T14:57:39","date_gmt":"2024-02-09T13:57:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ed95e982-b1be-40db-b3ad-96e9a30d9998"},"modified":"2024-02-09T15:35:44","modified_gmt":"2024-02-09T14:35:44","slug":"hippo-guide-how-big-they-are-what-they-eat-how-fast-they-run-and-why-they-are-one-of-the-most-dangerous-animals-in-the-world","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcwildlife\/rss_feed\/hippo-guide-how-big-they-are-what-they-eat-how-fast-they-run-and-why-they-are-one-of-the-most-dangerous-animals-in-the-world\/","title":{"rendered":"Hippo guide: how big they are, what they eat, how fast they run – and why they are one of the most dangerous animals in the world"},"content":{"rendered":"

The second largest animal on land after the elephant, the Hippopotamus or hippo is a fascinating species which is most powerful \u2013 and dangerous in water. Find out more about hippos in our expert guide, including species facts and where to see in the wild. <\/p>

By Mike Unwin\n <\/p>

Published: Friday, 09 February 2024 at 13:57 PM<\/p>

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Learn more about hippopotamus or hippos as they are more commonly known, including how much they weight, how fast they can run on land and where to see in the wild \u2013 and stay safe from an attack.<\/p>

How much does a hippo weigh?<\/h2>

Hippopotamus are the second largest land animal after the elephant<\/a>. Male hippos weigh 1,600\u20133,200kg, and females 650\u20132,350kg.<\/p>

What do hippos eat?<\/h2>

Hippos are herbivores and they tend to eat grass, leaves, fruit, and aquatic plants<\/p>

How much food do hippos eat?<\/h2>

Despite their size they eat just 1\u20131.5 per cent of their body weight every day.<\/p>

Hippopotamus in Chobe National Park, Botswana. \u00a9 Lost Horizon Images\/Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure>

What is a baby hippo called?<\/h2>

Baby hippos are called calves<\/p>

Can hippos swim?<\/h2>

Hippos sink in water. They run along the river bottom instead of swimming.<\/p>

How do hippos breathe when in water?<\/h2>

As\u00a0mammals, hippos have lungs just like we do. Lungs aren\u2019t much use under water, to the point of being a liability. Water is dense and viscous, so it takes a lot of effort to pump it in and out of internal inflatable bags. Too much effort, in fact \u2013 hence drowning.\u00a0<\/p>

Lungs are only good for breathing air, which is what hippos and other aquatic mammals such as whales, seals and manatees<\/a> must do. That said, hippos are able to breathe air while being almost entirely submerged, thanks to high-set nostrils that protrude out of the water. These can be sealed when the animals need to dive. They can last about five minutes between breaths, which is not particularly long compared to other aquatic mammals (an elephant seal can last two hours). It\u2019s long enough, though, for an animal that lives in shallow rivers rather than the ocean depths, where it is never far from a fresh lungful of air.<\/p>

Hippos are also capable of sleeping underwater and observations suggest that they are able to float to the surface for air and then sink down again \u2013 without waking up.<\/p>

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