Hippopotamus Scientific name :Hippopotamus amphibius

Hippopotamus
Scientific name :Hippopotamus amphibius
Hippopotamus is a large, plant-eating African mammal, one of only two in the family Hippopotamidae.Hippopotamuses are among the largest living mammals, only elephants and some whales are heavier. They can live in the water or on land. Their specific gravity allows them to sink and walk or run along the bottom of a river. Hippos are considered megafauna, but unlike all other African megafauna, hippos have adapted for a semi-aquatic life in freshwater lakes and rivers.

Range and habitat
The majority of Hippo’s that live in the wild are found in Africa. Approximately 125,000 to 150,000 of them are found in that area. Smaller amounts of these animals are found in some other areas.Hippos lives in the lakes and rivers. Sometimes the groups are very small with only about five members. They can be as large at to have thirty members though. It depends on if there is enough room for their basic needs to be met.
Physical characteristics
The average weights for adult males ranged between 1,500–1,800 kg . Females are smaller than their male counterparts, with average weights measuring between 1,300–1,500 kg. Older males can get much larger, reaching at least 3,200 kg and occasionally weighing 4,500 kg.Hippos measure 3.3 to 5.2 meters (11 to 17 ft) long, including a tail of about 56 centimetres (22 in) in length and average about 1.5 meters (5 ft) tall at the shoulder. their running speed vary from 30 km/h (18 mph) to 40 km/h (25 mph), or even 50 km/h (30 mph). The hippo can maintain these higher speeds for only a few hundred meters.The eyes, ears, and nostrils of hippos are placed high on the roof of the skull. This allows them to be in the water with most of their body submerged in the waters and mud of tropical rivers to stay cool and prevent sunburn.
Subspecies
Five subspecies of hippos have been described based on morphological differences in their skulls and geographical differences:
H. a. amphibius – (the nominate subspecies) which stretched from Egypt, where they are now extinct, south up the Nile River to Tanzania and Mozambique.
H. a. kiboko – in the Horn of Africa, in Kenya and Somalia. Kiboko is the Swahili word for hippo. Broader nasals and more hollowed interorbital region.
H. a. capensis – from Zambia to South Africa. Most flattened skull of the subspecies.
H. a. tschadensis – throughout Western Africa to, as the name suggests, Chad. Slightly shorter and wider face, with prominent orbits.
H. a. constrictus – in Angola, the southern Democratic Republic of Congo and Namibia
Feeding and diet
The main source of food for the Hippo is the short grass. They spend five or more hours grazing every single evening. They may walk up to five miles during that period of time. They can also consume up to 150 pounds of food per day.
Reproduction
Female hippos reach sexual maturity at five to six years of age and have a gestation period of 8 months.Males reach maturity at around 7.5 years.t female hippopotamuses may begin puberty as early as 3 or 4 years of age.Baby hippos are born underwater at a weight between 25 and 45 kg and an average length of around 127 cm (50 in) and must swim to the surface to take their first breath. A mother typically gives birth to only one hippo, although twins also occur.
Predatory
The Hippo has no natural predators on the wild. They don’t have very many but those that they have are tough ones. The life of a Hippo is mainly spent in the water during the day.
Life expectancy
A hippo's lifespan is typically 40 to 50 years. Donna the Hippo, 60, is the oldest living hippo in captivity. She lives at the Mesker Park Zoo in Evansville, Indiana, USA.