Facts about the Hippopotamus
Scientific Name: Hippopotamus amphibius
Range & Habitat: Grasslands, wetlands and rivers throughout Africa
Size: Weighs 2½ to 5 tons; body length is up to 15' long; stands 5' tall
Life Span: Can live up to 49 years in captivity
Gestation: 210-255 days, usually single births; calf weighs about 100 lbs.
Wild Diet: Aquatic plants, grass and foliage
Zoo Diet: Hay, grain, produce (watermelons and cantaloupes as treats)
Habits: Hippopotamuses live in groups of females and their young, and the bulls live separately. Mating, birthing and nursing usually take place in the water. A hippopotamus can remain completely submerged for up to five minutes. Its eyes, ears and nostrils are situated on top of its head to remain above the water while the hippo stays
underwater. When diving, its nostrils and ears close.
Hippos spend the day in the water and the night foraging on land. On land, they are
good walkers and relatively fast runners.
The hippo's skin has glands which secrete a viscous reddish-pink fluid that
moistens the skin during dry periods and provides protection from the sun. Before
the purpose of the fluid was determined, it was once thought that hippos sweat
blood
Hippopotamus is a Greek name meaning "River Horse."