Hippopotamus Day: the giant who lives in the water but can’t swim

The hippo is one of the largest land mammals: it can weigh up to 4 tons and reach a length of more than 4 meters.

This majestic giant has a long history dating back millions of years.

Hippopotamus fossils dating back about 25 million years have been found in various parts of the world.

What is the habitat of hippos

Today, their natural habitat includes much of sub-Saharan Africa where unfortunately their survival is threatened by hunting and poaching for their dental ivory.

According to estimates, the number of hippos has declined dramatically and alarmingly over the past 30 years.

Why the hippopotamus is called that.

The origin of the name “hippopotamus” dates back to ancient Greece, where it was referred to as a “river horse” (from hippos = horse, and potamus = river).

It lives for more than half of its existence in water to stay cool and hydrated since its skin is very sensitive to the sun.

However, as strange as it may seem, hippos do not actually know how to swim.

They typically inhabit the shallowest areas of rivers, puddles and lakes, where the water level allows them to remain submerged but be able to come to the surface to breathe simply by standing up on all four legs.

Most of their feeding activities occur at night, when they come out of the water to forage.

They are herbivores and can consume up to 40 kg of vegetation in a single night.

What is the character of the hippopotamus

These giants communicate with each other using different sounds, including grunts and roars.

They can also make sounds underwater and can “talk” to each other while fully submerged.

In water, hippos share a large number of confined spaces in relative tolerance and only if subordinate males to dominant males respect the hierarchy.

Otherwise, they do not hesitate to engage in violent fights during which they inflict extremely serious wounds through their sharp fangs that can exceed 50 cm in length.

In addition, their mouths are equipped with powerful muscles and open wide to over 150 degrees: basically, a war machine.

Hippos sweat blood

The hippo drips an oily red substance called“blood sweat.”

This is an epidermal secretion,hippoduric (or hipposudoric)acid.

This acid keeps the hippo’s skin moist, protects it from ultraviolet rays like a sunscreen, and also acts as a powerful antiseptic for wounds.

Goofy, the blue hippo from the 1960s carousel

Among the absolute stars of the Carousel born as part of the Testa Studio, Goofy, the hippo of a well-known brand of baby diapers, is still a myth today.

While in Carousel Goofy is shown as a sociable and calm animal, in reality he is a very aggressive animal and not because he is bad but simply out of fear.

In fact, on land, the hippo is not as comfortable as it is in the water, and despite its imposing size, it is surprisingly agile.

A sudden encounter with a man standing in his way may cause him out of fear to attack or simply run over the person with his three to four tons of weight in an attempt to reach the safety of the water.