Fascinating facts and interesting information about hippopotamuses
The hippopotamus (Hippopotamus) is a semi-aquatic mammal found in Africa. The hippopotamus is a solitary, nocturnal creature that lives in forest areas and survives on a diet of grasses.
Hippopotamuses need to cool their bodies from the intense heat of the African sun in muddy waters and rivers and spend a large portion of their time almost completely submerging their bodies in water. Although their skin appears rough and bumpy, it is actually very sensitive to the intense sunlight and needs constant hydration. almost.
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Fun and interesting information about hippos:
1. Hippos are one of the largest animals on planet Earth:
Along with the elephant and the rhinoceros, the hippopotamus is one of the largest animals on planet Earth. The average weight of an adult male can reach 7,000 pounds, roughly the weight of a truck, while a female hippo weighs about 3,000 pounds. Despite its huge size, its speed may exceed the speed of a human enemy.
2. They cannot swim:
Although the Greeks called hippos “river horses” and we always see hippos in the water, in reality they cannot swim or float. While they find sandy river bottoms and banks to stand on.
Most of their foraging activities take place at night, since they are nocturnal animals, but during the heat of the day, they have to find a way to protect themselves from the sun's rays as they stay longer in the river and the mud and water act as a barrier to cool their skin and regulate its temperature.
3. Calves can suckle under water:
Hippos are vegetarian animals, but during the first year of life, hippopotamus calves feed on their mothers' milk as soon as they are born, as they remain close to their mothers, relying on them for food until they can survive on their own in the wild. They are known to ride on their mothers' backs sometimes.
Interestingly, the hippo's body has adapted to allow calves to nurse on land and underwater. The eyes and nose close to prevent the calf from taking in water and they can maintain this position for several minutes. The hippo's milk is not pink. Like most other mammals, its milk is whitish-yellow.
4. They can hold their breath for up to five minutes:
What hippos lack in swimming skills they more than make up for in their ability to hold their breath for long periods of time. A thick membrane covers their eyes and closes their nose, creating a watertight protective seal. They may move to another area or remain stationary until they feel it is safe to return to the surface. Strangely enough, hippos are able to sleep underwater using the same reflexive instinct.
5. Hippos are very noisy creatures:
Hippos are very vocal creatures and use a series of sounds to communicate with each other in their groups. These sounds are quite distinctive and have been described as honking, growling, moaning, and squeaking sounds. Sometimes, it also resembles the sound of human laughter.
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On land, their calls can reportedly be heard a mile away, but hippos are also known to vocalize underwater. Not much is understood about what each call means or why they do it, but like other animals, it's their way of communicating. They could be alerting other hippos to danger, signaling a time to move or remain still, or calling to their young.
6. A group of hippos called Bloat:
Pygmy hippos spend most of their lives in a solitary routine, but common hippos are often found in large groups that can number up to approximately 100 hippos per, this allows for safety and security and gives males control over their territories and families.
The main predators of hippos are big cats, crocodiles and hyenas. They often pursue smaller offspring, especially if they have strayed from the protection of the group. They also look for old and injured hippos that are vulnerable to attack and unable to defend themselves.
7. They get Sunburnt:
Sensitive skin is the main reason hippos spend so much time in the water and off land. But interestingly, their bodies are designed to create their own kind of sunscreen.
They have evolved over time to be able to secrete a specific type of pink sweat that covers the length of their bodies. They don't actually have sweat glands, but this oily substance comes from pores in their skin and works to protect them from sun damage and prevent infection.
8. The gestation period of female hippos is 8 months:
Like humans, female hippos have a relatively long gestation period. Hippopotamuses are pregnant for approximately 237 days, which is approximately 8 months.
Hippos have only one baby at a time. The calf will stay at its mother's side for about a year, suckling milk as it grows and gains strength. After that time, she will stop nursing and feed on plants.
The mammal with the longest gestation time is the elephant, which carries a female for over 600 days, then sperm whales come in second after approximately 500 days.
9. Hippos mate in the water:
Hippos mate every two years and most of their mating rituals occur in the water. Both males and females use vocalizations, body language, and even their urine and feces to show their interest (or lack thereof).
The male will travel, compete and fight other males in order to get the mate he wants, so usually only strong, dominant hippos are allowed to mate successfully.
10. Hippos are polygamous:
Hippos are not known to mate for life and a male may have up to 10 mates in one lifetime. Since the dominant male hippopotamus or bull rules the rest of the group, it is often very difficult for younger males to secure a female to mate with. In one season, a male usually mates with more than one female to ensure offspring. After the calves are born, they will all stay together in his territory, where he can protect and shelter them from males and other rival predators.
11. Male hippos throw dung to mark their territory:
One of the reasons hippos are considered dangerous and unpredictable animals is their need to defend their territories. Females will be fiercely protective of their young, but males are the most ferocious and threatening. They will go after any hippopotamus (even a family), animal or human that dares to enter their personal space.
On land, they may use their tails to fling their feces around the area to show others their territory. Wide open mouths, loud noises, or charging may also indicate that they are defending their territory.
Hippos and crocodiles:
The hippopotamus and the crocodile are considered two of the most deadly African beasts. The crocodile and the hippopotamus lived side by side for thousands of years. But is there a relationship of close friendship between them, or disgusting hostility? One is a huge plant eater, the other is the most brilliant freshwater predator on Earth.
So how can a hippopotamus and a crocodile coexist in one habitat? Each of them has a number of different features and characteristics: strong muscles, tremendous biting force, and sharp teeth that make them predatory creatures in their environment.
But once a year, that peaceful coexistence in their semi-aquatic habitat turns into a struggle for survival.
With the arrival of the dry season, which extends its grip on these two mighty creatures, forcing each of them to practice its survival strategy, for its part, crocodiles resort to preying on the bodies of weak and dead animals of their own kind, because they have learned over 100 million years of evolution how to preserve their lives in such a way that Those are lean times, and hang on to the ropes of survival.
While the hippopotamuses fight desperately to defend their habitats, which are subject to shrinkage and decline, and struggle to cling to the remaining water resources. Its aggressive, ferocious behavior and deadly fangs help it secure control of its habitat. But what happens when these two bitter neighbors meet face to face? Which one of them will emerge victorious in the end?
Hippopotamus vs. crocodile - the bloody conflict. It is a very ancient conflict. A drawing of this conflict was found on a Pharaonic mural. There is a modern picture that depicts, in a rare shot, a hippopotamus trying to prey on a crocodile.
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In a rare or perhaps impossible scene, a hippopotamus attempts to prey on a crocodile in one of the forests of South Africa, proving that in the face of hunger, all the habits and innate nature with which the creature is created collapse. Despite the fact that the “hippopotamus” is a plant animal, it tried to attack a crocodile from the premise of The principle: “Hunger is infidelity.”
According to what was reported in the British newspaper "Daily Mail", the attack by the horse was not initially for the purpose of food or devouring, but rather it was a conflict due to the crocodile's encroachment on the children of the "hippopotamus" swimming in one of the ponds in South Africa.
As the conflict increased, the hippopotamus began to adopt more ferocious behavior and deviate from its nature and habits as a pet and began to attempt a ferocious attack on the crocodile as if it was trying to pounce on it for the purpose of providing a meal for its children away from the plants on which this species of animal feeds.
It is a circle and a strong struggle, and the hippo kills the crocodile in most of the encounters, and the crocodile eats the young hippopotamus or eats the hippopotamus when it dies, Glory be to God.