Animal Life - Hippo Day
Hippopotamus means "river horse" in Greek.
Experts believe the modern-day hippo evolved in Africa around 8 million years ago. While they do bear a resemblance to horses, and pigs, they are actually most closely related to whales and dolphins.
There are only two types of hippo - the common, or bog-standard, and the pygmy. Both are native to sub-Saharan Africa, such as Zambia and Tanzania, but a few extinct species once could be found across Europe and Madagascar.
In the 1980's, Pablo Escobar illegally imported four hippos to his estate in Colombia. Today, there are more than 100 in the area.
According to WWF, the hippo is currently designated "Vulnerable." Drought has led to habitat loss, as well as hunting and poaching still being a major threat.
Both their eyes and ears are on top of their head, so they can be alert against enemies such as crocodiles while in the water. At night they come ashore to eat soft grasses and fallen fruit. They are not territorial on land, but you better watch out in the water! And don't be fooled by their size, because they can run up to 25mph.
However, they're not good swimmers, nor do they float. They typically avoid deep waters, but they use a porpoise-like jump to move when they are. The process of surfacing to breathe is unconscious and happens even as they sleep.
Hippos secrete a natural sunscreen that can have a red or orange appearance before turning brown. This inhibits the growth of disease-causing bacteria and light absorption peaks in the ultraviolet range. They have thick (2in) skin, but a thin subcutaneous fat layer.
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