What is the Latin name for the common hippopotamus. Hippopotamus (hippopotamus) in the wild: photo and description

To uninformed people, it may seem that the pygmy hippopotamus is the result of the work of genetic engineering, and were bred artificially. But in fact, mother nature created a small copy of the hippos familiar to us, these are two representatives of the same species. Pygmy hippos are so little known because of their rarity - today they number no more than a thousand individuals.

pygmy hippopotamus

In natural habitat

For the first time New World learned about the existence of these unusual animals from the German zoologist G. Schomburgk in 1911. In places of their natural population, in West Africa are underway civil wars, forests are being cut down and people are reclaiming land from nature, and poverty makes it impossible to provide them with protection at the state level. Locals call them mwe-mwe, or nigbwe.

Pygmy hippos are very similar to their huge relatives, they also prefer to spend time in the water during the day, coming out to land at night for reinforcements. But there is also a significant difference - the lack of aggressiveness, which is why there are no wars for territory. Of course, pygmy hippos also mark their territories with droppings, about two square kilometers are allotted for one individual, but if another hippopotamus invades it, the owner will watch him indifferently. Anyway, the uninvited guest will leave soon, it's okay.

hippo walk

This is a rather secretive animal, most active at night, which is why there is little information about its lifestyle. Fortunately, hippos do well in captivity, and many zoos around the world can boast of them.

Characteristics of the animal

The size of a pygmy hippopotamus with a pig. To be more precise, then:

• Height - up to 75 cm;
• Weight - up to 280 kg. For comparison, an ordinary hippopotamus up to 4500 kg;
• Length - up to 190 cm;
• Color - like that of an ordinary hippopotamus;
• Life expectancy - up to 35 years.

Hippo Harry

As it is already clear, the character of the baby is calm, balanced. The brain is poorly developed, it does not lend itself to training, but it remembers people perfectly, after a while it can respond to a nickname.

The female may not wake up maternal instinct, as happened in the South African reserve, and the baby had to be fed artificially.

artificial feeding hippopotamus

They do not differ in special curiosity and playfulness, preferring water procedures at a shallow depth so that you can lie down, just watching everything around in half-asleep.

Buying a Pygmy Hippo

In this matter, we will immediately disappoint - it is impossible to buy this rare animal in Russia. The reason is banal - we do not have any breeders or nurseries. They live only in zoos, in which, although very rarely, they also breed. Although if you have very large financial opportunities and a certain circle of acquaintances, you can get a baby, such cases are already taking place. As the second option - to lead the animal across the border, but along with a wild animal, you will acquire a lot of diseases from which we have no immunity, and an absolutely uncontrollable character, the owner of which cannot be tamed.

The price also remains behind a dark veil, it is understandable.

Not for background information, but just as food for thought, let's look at the content of the pygmy hippopotamus at home. Suddenly, your relative is the director of the zoo, and he will need to keep the animal somewhere while the complex is being disinfected.

Due to the peculiarity of the skin, which requires constant moisture, it will require a shallow pool or pond to maintain it. If or adapts to the conditions of detention, then in the case of a hippopotamus, on the contrary, it will be necessary to adjust the conditions for it.

Mom and baby in the pool

If they allow climatic conditions, then the best option will equip a large aviary, surrounded by a solid fence. The land does not impose special requirements, but ordinary soft hay is better suited.

baby in the hay

They are indifferent to other pets, and in young age they can even make friends and frolic a little. strangers hippos are not afraid, so you can arrange small viewings, of course, if you have an animal on legal terms.

diet

All hippos are herbivores, and at night they go to the edge of the forest to chew fresh grass. If you teach from childhood to vegetables and fruits, then the diet will become somewhat more diverse, as in the photo below, but you should not offer meat and fish products, this is unacceptable for a hippopotamus.

Animal diet

They do not need a separate drinking bowl, as they drink water from the pond in which they rest. If the water there is frankly dirty, then a drinking bowl with clean water necessary.

It must be understood that the calorie content of such food is small, and for such a body weight you have to eat almost half of the entire waking time.

For comparison, you can ask the familiar owners of pigs - the appetites of these animals are almost the same.

And in the end, we’ll say that if you still decide to purchase such an animal as a pygmy hippopotamus, then “give it to good hands” will not work. Soberly evaluate your strengths and capabilities in order to be guaranteed to be able to support this cute and very rare creature for half of your life.

And remember - we are responsible for those we have tamed!

Pygmy hippo in Yekaterinburg Zoo, video

March 18th, 2015

Many people believe that hippos are slow and clumsy due to their size, but this is a dangerous misconception. Here is a video of a hippo chasing a motorboat in Chobe National Park in Botswana. The driver of the boat speeds up just in time before the huge animal emerges from the water.

In 2014, a hippopotamus attack on a boat on a river in Niger killed 12 schoolchildren - seven girls and five boys. Such data of the country's authorities are cited by Agence France-Presse. The incident took place near the country's capital, Niamey. There were at least 18 people in the pie. Most of them are 12-13 year olds who were on their way to a school across the Niger River. The authorities did not specify how exactly they died.

Hippos that are on the lookout deep places in Niger they often approach Niamey, they frighten the locals. Experts note the strongest aggressiveness of adults at a time when their cubs are next to them. In such situations, hippos often attack cattle that grazes on the banks of the river.

Let's learn more about these animals...

Photo 1.

Hippos are quite rightly considered to be among the most dangerous African animals. But they pose a danger only to those who themselves are trying to threaten them. In fact, the hippo personality has traits that many of us might envy. In this article we will try to tell you more about these amazing animals.

The life of a hippopotamus is somewhat reminiscent of the life of a retired heavyweight boxer. Calm, outwardly clumsy and phlegmatic, a little gloomy, but not an aggressive homebody. There are practically no enemies, all the neighbors know him well and are the first to greet him, and who does not know, just in case, tries to stay away. He does not offend the little ones, he can even provide help on occasion. Home, family, prosperity - he has everything, and he does not need anything from someone else. But if the "gopniks in the gateway" stick, then ...

Photo 2.

Don't believe? Judge for yourself: predators are afraid to attack a hippopotamus because it is painfully terrible in anger, and it is armed perfectly. Despite the fact that the hippopotamus is a herbivore, its teeth are perhaps the most terrible one can imagine, especially the lower fangs. They grow throughout their lives and reach a length of over half a meter. In a fit of rage, the hippo easily bites a giant Nile crocodile in half.

The African fat man also has a lot of cunning and ingenuity. A case is known when a lion attacked a hippopotamus, when he was grazing on the shore. Probably, the king of beasts was too hungry, or something happened to his head, because hippopotamus lions usually bypass them. But, one way or another, this lion coveted a hippopotamus chewing grass, for which he paid. He did not even tear him with his fangs and trample him with his strong legs, but simply grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and dragged him into the water, where it was deeper. There the poor fellow-lion choked.

Photo 3.

And here is another case: a hippopotamus resting in the river was attacked by ... a shark. It was a rather large (about two meters) specimen of the so-called herring shark, which lives mainly in the ocean. But by some miracle, she was brought not only into the Mediterranean Sea, but also into the Nile Delta. And I must say, the herring shark is unusually aggressive and dangerous. Her teeth are long, sharp, bent back and form a solid palisade. In her element, she does not let anyone through: fish, sea animal, man - everything goes to feed her.

And this predator decided to feast on a hippopotamus, but literally attacked the wrong one. Unlike the case with the lion, the hippo did the opposite to her - dragged sea ​​monster to the shore and already trampled there. Who will now doubt that hippos have brains?

Photo 4.

Of course, there is a predator on earth - cruel and merciless, capable of ruining any animal. This is a man. But people, oddly enough, do not need anything from hippos (as, in fact, hippos do not need anything from people). They do not have valuable tusks or horns, teeth are not listed on the market. All that the hippo has is just meat, and even that is far from a delicacy. In the days of slavery, whips were made from the skin of hippos to drive slaves, but slavery was officially abolished, and the production of whips disappeared with it. So even people do not touch hippos.

Photo 5.

Hippos lead a secluded lifestyle. You can walk several kilometers along the banks of the Nile and not meet a single hippo, and then suddenly it turns out that you have passed dozens of animals and simply did not notice them. You can swim in a boat a couple of meters from a hippopotamus and not pay attention to it. Among the garbage that the Nile carries into the sea, it’s hard to see a pair of small black “floats” - this hippo escapes from the heat, putting out only its eyes and nostrils. During the day, the animals lie at the bottom of the river. Their ears are "plugged" with special membranes that prevent water from entering. So in daylight hours The hippopotamus goes hungry for days, and goes out on the promenade only at night, and here, in terms of feeding, it comes off to the fullest. To feed themselves, the hippopotamus has to eat 50-60 kilograms of grass per day.

Photo 6.

Of course, in the environment of hippos, as in any other, it is not without conflicts. Sometimes during the mating season or during the distribution of food places, the matter ends in a fight, and blood is shed. But often the dispute about brides and territory is resolved quite peacefully. Male hippos periodically find out which of them is larger. Usually a contender for power approaches the commander in chief in the clan and stands nearby. Both hippos carefully examine each other, and the one who did not come out tall bashfully retires home, and the larger specimen becomes (or remains) the “boss”. The war can only start if both contenders have the same weight category.

Photo 7.

As for such hippo traits as kindness and generosity, here are a few examples for you.
The famous zoologist Dick Recassel witnessed how a crocodile attacked one of the antelopes that came to the watering hole. A hippo resting nearby came to the aid of an animal beating in the teeth of an alligator. He recaptured the antelope from the crocodile, pulled it ashore and began ... to lick its wounds. “The rarest case in the animal kingdom,” Recassel comments. - A real manifestation of mercy, and to a representative of a completely different species! Alas, help came too late. Half an hour later, the antelope died from shock and blood loss. But the hippopotamus remained near her for another quarter of an hour, driving away the flocked vultures, until the sun forced him to return back to the river.

Photo 8.

And more recently, visitors to the reserve in Kenya had a chance to observe the actions of a hippopotamus - almost a professional rescuer. Here is how it was. Wildebeest and zebra crossed the Mara River. An antelope cub, separated from its mother by the current, began to sink. Then a hippopotamus emerged from the water and began to push the baby to the shore. Soon, he safely got out on land and joined his mother, who all this time could only helplessly watch what was happening. In less than ten minutes, the same hippo rescued a drowning zebra. He helped her keep her head above the water and, like the "antelope", pushed her to land.

So these hippos are not such simple animals.

Photo 9.

Common hippos spend most of their time in the water, most often in fresh water. Occasionally they can go to sea.

If earlier the animal was found in many places the globe, now a very small number of them have survived only in areas south of the Sahara. But even in Africa they are becoming less and less due to the fact that they are being exterminated in in large numbers local native population. Hippo meat is their main meat food.

Hippos adapt well to captivity, so almost all zoos contain this interesting animal.

Photo 10.

Who are the hippopotamus and hippopotamus? Many people do not know that these words refer to the same animal of the artiodactyl genus. The first name is translated from ancient Hebrew as "beast", perhaps due to the massiveness of this beast. The second is translated from Greek as "river horse" - hippos really love water.

Photo 11.

His body resembles a huge barrel, his legs are thick and so short that his stomach almost drags along the ground when walking. It can be up to 4 m in length, and the mass is simply fantastic - up to 5 tons! After elephants, the hippopotamus is in second place in size, as is the rhinoceros.

The tail is short, but quite mobile, with the help of it it sprays droppings and urine - it marks the territory.

On the paws there are 4 fingers with a membrane. When walking in the mud, the fingers spread out, and the stretched membrane helps not to slip and not to fall through.

Photo 12.

The ears are small, but with them he constantly tries to drive away insects. The head resembles a roughly cut rectangle, and the muzzle is covered with special sensitive hairs. In many photos, the hippopotamus is depicted with its mouth wide open - and indeed it can open it up to 150 degrees.

In it, a frightening-looking 36 teeth-fangs are visible. He uses them as protection or digs the ground.

The eyes are very small, around them are large folds of the eyelids.

Photo 13.

Unusually, these animals communicate with each other - by voice. They even have their own sounds-signals to indicate fear, aggression, danger. They express them with a roar, sometimes sounds like a horse neighing or grunting. The roar of hippos is very loud, it spreads far across the African expanses.

Photo 14.

Hippos live for about 40 years and die more often from diseases. In nature, they are not afraid of anyone except the lion. No one dares to attack them anymore. Yes, and a lion that encroached on a cub, a female in a rage can drown in silt mud or simply trample.

Photo 15.

Man is the biggest threat. Poaching for the meat, fangs and bones of the hippopotamus significantly reduces their population. Despite the fact that any child knows the phrase “oh, it’s not an easy job to drag a hippopotamus out of the swamp,” these animals have not yet been studied enough. Most likely, this happened because it is difficult to observe them, because they spend most of the day in the water.

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Do you know what the hippopotamus is doing in this GIF? Now I'll tell you.

Hippos do not like to travel, looking for food in distant lands they do not, but prefer to grow grass themselves, in their own, so to speak, "garden". They do this in the following way: having limited a certain area for feeding themselves and their families, these animals regularly and diligently fertilize it with their own feces. And in order for the fertilizer to be distributed evenly, the animal “in the process”, so to speak, vigorously turns its tail, like a propeller. As a result, the "garden" of the hippopotamus, as in good farmer, always qualitatively fertilized and brings excellent harvest. And you don't have to follow him far.

Here it is worth noting that female hippos, while searching for a betrothed, meticulously monitor not the ability of males to care for the opposite sex, but their success in agriculture. The more powerfully the tail of a male hippopotamus spins, the more he gives out feces and the farther he scatters them, the greater the chances for the groom: it means that his family will live in abundance and will not die of hunger. A real marriage of convenience. But, perhaps, in this case, this is the right approach.

How does a giraffe sleep? Or maybe you don't know what it looks like. Find out more why and be sure The original article is on the website InfoGlaz.rf Link to the article from which this copy is made -

Outwardly, the clumsy hippopotamus is dangerous for people - herbivores kill up to 3,000 people a year. Crocodiles inspiring primitive horror kill people three times less. Lions - 30 times. And the well-known heroes of horror films - sharks, are altogether noted in this mournful list three hundred times less often. Hippo, he is a river horse - one of the most dangerous animals in the world!

Predatory vegetarians

Despite the fact that hippos are considered herbivores, they are happy to dilute their diet with meat, easily eating an antelope, a crocodile, and on occasion and man. Herds of hippopotamuses easily go to graze fields close to water bodies, causing irreparable damage, at the same time trampling or devouring farmers protecting their crops.

In 2000, on the Niger River, a herd of hippos terrorized the area, attacking boats, making it impossible to fish, killing people, livestock and devastating rice fields. Numerous complaints about the brutalized relatives of the whales did not help.

An extremely aggressive hippo in 2014 attacked a boat with schoolchildren going to school. 12 children and one adult died. The government of Senegal promised to provide local residents with metal motorized pirogues, nets and life jackets as support. Officially hunting for hippos is prohibited.

Sharp spears in a huge mouth

In fact, the yawns of sluggish lumps, touching many, are a threat, a demonstration of the size of the teeth to a possible enemy. After such a demonstration, a swift rush towards the opponent may follow, bringing a painful death.

The fangs of a river horse can reach a size of 1 meter or more, but, as a rule, they vary within 50–65 cm, grinding against each other, at the same time sharpening, turning into real spears. Fangs can weigh up to 3 kg each. By their size and wear, you can determine the approximate age of hippos, since their teeth grow throughout their lives.

The bone of a dangerous beast is no less valuable than ivory, especially since it does not turn yellow over time and is more durable. Before processing, the teeth are first soaked in acid to dissolve the incredibly strong enamel, otherwise it will simply be impossible to work with the material.

Swift Fatties

Hippos are the most dangerous animals, they can easily catch up with a running person and can compete in speed even with motor boats. Escaping from an angry giant is almost impossible! In addition, it is very difficult to kill him - such a massive animal can only be hit with a shot in the brain. Aborigines at a price own life they simply wear down the hippos, inflicting many wounds with harpoons.

The male hippos perceive the aboriginal pirogues floating on the river as rivals and purposefully drown them. Fishermen who live off the rivers are sometimes forced to die of hunger, unable to get food for themselves and their families.

Do you know why? Stay on our site to expand your horizons.

Domain: eukaryotes

Kingdom: Animals

A type: chordates

Class: mammals

Squad: artiodactyls

Family: Hippos

Genus: hippos

View: common hippopotamus

Origin of hippopotamus

Until 1997, scientists believed that the hippopotamus is one of the relatives of the common domestic pig, to which it belongs. This assumption was based on the appearance of the animal, the physiological features of the structure of the skeleton and internal organs. An in-depth study allowed us to refute this assertion. Studies 10 years ago showed that hippos are closely related to whales.

Scientists use the following facts as evidence:

• hippos are inhabitants of freshwater, some species of ancient whales also lived exclusively in freshwater reservoirs;
• whales give birth and nurse their young in the water, hippos do the same;
• whales and hippos do not hairline, except for sparse setae on head and tail;
• whales communicate underwater using special sounds, hippos growl and thus communicate with each other;
• the testes of the whale and the male hippopotamus are located inside the body.

The ancestor of the pygmy mini hippo appeared about 54 million years ago. The animal lived in the thicket of the tropical forest, preferred to live alone. Approximately 2.5 million years ago, ordinary hippos appeared - gigantic and extremely aggressive creatures that quickly spread across the planet. In ancient times, the African continent was inhabited by at least 4 various kinds representatives of the genus Hippopotamus, but gradually they all became extinct. As a result of studying animals, other questions arose, such as: is the hippopotamus artiodactyl or not, what did ancient hippos eat in nature, how long did hippos live?

Hippo or hippopotamus?

Are the hippopotamus and hippopotamus the same animal, or are they two different ones? The question of how the hippopotamus and hippopotamus differ has been of concern to many generations of people, and the answer to it should be sought, first of all, in geographical and political disunity. So, from the Greek language the word "hippo" is translated as "river horse". It was the Greeks who first used this term in relation to the harsh inhabitant of Africa.

At the same time, in the Hebrew language there is the word "behemoth", used in plural and interpreted as "animal". This word first appeared in Russian around the second half of the 18th century.

Europeans discovered the expanses of the African continent a little earlier and called the animal they saw - a hippopotamus, the representatives of the Slavic world who arrived in Africa did not know that the creature they saw had already been given a name. The lack of necessary information led to the appearance of two names for the same animal at once. At the same time, the word "behemoth" is used mainly by residents living in the territory of the CIS countries, while the term "hippopotamus" is used throughout the rest of the world. Thus, the main difference between a hippopotamus and a hippopotamus is the spelling of the word itself, there is no difference between a hippopotamus and a hippopotamus.

hippo habitat

Hippos live in:

• Africa;
• Kenya;
• Zambia;
• Uganda and other sub-Saharan countries.

The life expectancy of an animal in the wild is no more than forty years, and in captivity a hippopotamus lives for about fifty years. In one of the American zoos there was a unique case when a female hippo lived exactly 60 years.

Description of hippos

The Latin name for hippos was borrowed in ancient times. Greek, where such animals were called "river horse". That is how the ancient Greeks used to call giant animals that live in fresh water and are capable of making quite loud sounds, a bit like a horse neighing. On the territory of our country and some CIS countries, such a mammal is called a hippopotamus, but in general, hippos and hippos are one and the same animal.

Initially, pigs were the closest relatives of hippos, but thanks to studies conducted ten years ago, the presence of closely related relationships with whales was proved.

Common features are represented by the ability of such animals to reproduce their offspring and feed babies under water, the absence of sebaceous glands, the presence of a special system of signals used for communication, as well as the structure of the reproductive organs.

The peculiar appearance of hippos does not allow them to be confused with any other wild large animals. They have a gigantic barrel-shaped body and are not too much inferior to elephants in size. Hippos grow throughout their lives, and at the age of ten, males and females have almost the same weight. Only after this, the males begin to increase their body weight as intensively as possible, so they very quickly become larger than the females.

The massive body is located on short legs, therefore, in the process of walking, the animal's abdomen often touches the ground. On the legs are four toes and a very peculiar hoof. In the space between the fingers there are membranes, thanks to which the mammal is able to swim perfectly. The tail part of the common hippopotamus reaches a length of 55 - 56 cm, thick at the base, round, gradually tapering and becoming almost flat towards the end. Due to the special structure of the tail, wild animals spray their droppings over an impressive distance and mark in an unusual way individual territory.

Just a huge head of an adult hippo occupies a quarter of the total mass of the animal and often weighs about a ton.

The anterior part of the skull is slightly blunt, and in profile it is characterized by a rectangular shape. The ears of the animal are small in size, highly mobile, the nostrils are of an expanded type, the eyes are small and buried in rather fleshy eyelids. The ears, nostrils and eyes of the hippopotamus are characterized by a high landing and location on a single line, which allows the animal to almost completely submerge in water and at the same time continue to look, breathe or hear. Male hippos differ from females in special pineal swellings located in the lateral part, next to the nostrils. Such swellings are the bases of large fangs. Among other things, females are somewhat smaller than males.

The muzzle of a hippopotamus is of a wide format, in front dotted with shortish and very hard vibrissae. When opening the mouth, an angle of 150 o is formed, and the width is sufficient powerful jaws averages 60-70 cm. Ordinary hippos have 36 teeth, which are covered with yellow enamel.

On each of the jaws there are six molars, six premolars, as well as a pair of canines and four incisors. Males have especially developed sharp fangs, which are distinguished by a crescent shape and a longitudinal groove located on the lower jaw. With age, the fangs gradually curve back. Some hippos have fangs reaching a length of 58-60 cm and weighing up to 3.0 kg.

Hippos are extremely thick-skinned animals, but at the tail base the skin is quite thin. The back area has a gray or grayish-brown coloration, and on the belly, ears and around the eyes there is pink color. There is almost no hair on the skin, and the exception is represented by short bristles located on the ears and the tip of the tail.

Adult hippos take only about five breaths per minute, thanks to which they are able to dive, remaining without air under water for up to ten minutes.

Very sparse hairs grow on the sides and abdomen. There are no sweat and sebaceous glands in the hippopotamus, but there are special skin glands that are characteristic only for such animals. On hot days, the skin of a mammal is covered with a red mucous secretion, which acts as a protection and antiseptic, and also repels bloodsuckers.

Types of hippos

Of the currently existing species, only 2 species of hippos have been identified (the rest of the species are extinct):

• common hippopotamus, or hippopotamus (lat. Hippopotamus amphibius). Belongs to the hippo genus. The length of an ordinary hippo is at least 3 meters, some hippos grow up to 5.4 m in length. The height at the shoulders can reach 1.65 m. Average weight hippopotamus is about 3 tons, the mass of individual specimens can reach up to 4.5 tons. The difference in weight between males and females is about 10%.

• pygmy hippopotamus, he is Liberian pygmy hippopotamus or pygmy hippo (lat. Hexaprotodon liberiensis, Choeropsis liberiensis). Belongs to the genus pygmy hippos and also has the names mwe-mwe or nigbwe. The pygmy hippopotamus is similar in appearance to the common one, but differs in longer limbs, a pronounced neck, a smaller skull and one pair of incisors in the mouth (the common one has 2 pairs). The back has a slight inclination forward, and the nostrils are not so much raised. Pygmy hippos grow in length up to 150-177 cm and have a height of up to 75-83 cm. Pygmy hippopotamus weighs 180-225 kg. The protective secret on the surface of the body is different pink. At home, pygmy hippos are under threat due to poaching, deforestation and military operations in the territory of these hippos.

Hippo Behavior

Hippos live near the shores of fresh water. It could be like big rivers or lakes, and small mud lakes. The main requirements for him, so that he could accommodate the whole herd, and not dry out all year. In addition, it is important for the animal to have a grassy lowland for grazing next to a reservoir. In the event of deterioration of conditions, hippos are capable of migrating to another body of water, but still long-distance land travel is not typical for them.

The life of a hippopotamus has a clear daily rhythm. During the day, the animals are in the water, where they sleep with their heads out, and graze at night.

Adult males, who do not have their own harem, live alone and often fight for territory. Such fights are long and cruel, animals are capable of inflicting serious injuries on each other, even death. Hippos are especially aggressive on the shore. They do not like neighbors and drive away all outsiders, including even rhinos and elephants. The length of the site of an adult male is 50-100 meters on the river and 250-500 meters on the lake.

When the animal leaves the water and goes to feed, it uses the same individual path. In soft soil, such trails become wide and deep ditches, prominent features of the landscape. The animal moves on land with a step. Max Speed up to 30 km/h.

In addition to single males, hippos form herds of 20-30 individuals, and young, immature males keep in bachelor groups.

Communication between hippos

The exchange of voice and other communication signals has importance in the life of hippos, allowing, for example, to identify each other. Hippos have a fairly developed system of vocal communication - there are various signals expressing danger, aggression, etc. In general, the voice of a hippopotamus does not differ in variety - it is either a roar or a grunt. The roar of the hippopotamus is one of the most characteristic and recognizable sounds of African wildlife.

Communication with relatives occurs with the help of short uterine roaring sounds. The female during the mating period, attracting the male, emits a loud moo. The hippopotamus can also make a sound similar to a horse's neigh, which may be the reason for its name in Greek - "river horse". The animal also frequently snorts and noisily expels air from its nostrils, which is usually a sign of irritation and aggressive intentions, but it can also be an alarm signal (for example, when predators approach).

Of exceptional importance is the splashing of excrement and urine by hippos. The male constantly, making fast propeller-like rotational movements with his tail, sprays droppings, both on land and in water. At the same time, pieces of litter scatter very far to the sides, flying even into the crowns of trees, which was noted with surprise by many observers of the 19th century.

Probably, this is of primary importance as a communication signal, only secondarily as a way of marking the territory. The female sprays droppings much less often. The habit of the hippopotamus to spray droppings makes keeping it in the zoo very troublesome - the attendants are forced to wash the walls of the premises several times a day, which the animal constantly stains with manure. Males mark their individual sites with heaps of excrement, reaching solid sizes - up to 1 m in height and 2 m in diameter. These heaps are updated daily. In the same way, the male marks his paths. The heaps of droppings left by the hippopotamus within its habitat probably also serve as a guide for it.

What does a hippopotamus eat?

The hippopotamus is a herbivore, but can also eat meat. The main food is ground and near-water grass. Aquatic vegetation is not eaten. Tears off the grass with dense lips. A huge (60 meters long) intestine allows you to better digest and assimilate food.

There have been cases of attacks on other animals. Gazelles, antelopes, cows, most often carrion, wounded animals can become victims. Hippos can eat their dead relatives.

reproduction

Hippos are polygamous animals, which means that one male can mate with several females in one social group. Although the reproduction of these mammals is not strictly seasonal, it usually occurs during the dry season, from February to August, and the birth of cubs falls on the rainy season, from October to April.

When looking for a mate, the dominant male wanders to resting areas or pastures and sniffs the tail of each female. The male behaves unusually submissively towards the female in order to avoid the attack of the herd. The purpose of the respectful male is to find a female ready to mate. After the male finds the right female, courtship begins.

He teases his chosen one, thereby luring her out of the herd. He then pursues her into deeper waters until she gets angry and clashes her jaws with him. The male subjugates the female and the process of copulation takes place, while her head is under water. It is not clear why, but her head should be under water.

If the female tries to raise her head to breathe in air, the male usually forces her to lower her head down by force. During mating, males make a hoarse signal sound, which indicates success. Although they can copulate year-round, the most common period is from February to August. Pregnancy lasts almost a year, 324 days, and one cub is born. It is not taken away from mother's milk for about a year, and maturity occurs at 3.5 years. Before giving birth, pregnant females become very aggressive and defend themselves against anyone who encounters her.

They isolate on land or in shallow water and return to the herd 2 weeks after birth. At birth, cubs weigh from 22 to 55 kg. Mother and calf have a close bond. They bathe and hug each other, supposedly showing affection for each other. The cubs are adapted to feed on mother's milk under water: the ears and nostrils close at the moment of sucking, when the mother's nipple is between the tongue and the upper jaw. Since hippos live in a social family environment, males carefully protect females and cubs, and often attack anything that poses a threat to them.

Natural enemies of the hippopotamus

There are not so many natural enemies for hippos. Lions are dangerous for them and Nile crocodiles. But even for these predators, adult males are difficult prey, as they are large, strong and armed with long fangs. When females protect cubs, they also become very furious and strong. If the kids are left unattended, they are attacked by hyena, leopard and hyena dogs. In addition, cubs may be accidentally trampled by adult members of the herd.

First of all, humans have a negative effect on the state of the hippopotamus population. Its number is steadily declining due to poaching for meat and bones, as well as due to the destruction natural environment animal habitats. The last factor is associated with the growth of the population of Africa, and the corresponding occupation of new lands for agricultural needs; in this case, it is often the coastal lands where the hippos live and feed that are plowed up. Irrigation, construction of dams and changes in the course of rivers also negatively affect the state of the population of this species.

Hippo and man

Hippo hunting has a long tradition in Africa, in part because of its tasty meat, because of the hippopotamus bone, or just for fun, as was practiced by European colonists.

Contrary to popular belief, the hippo is not a particularly peaceful animal. In Africa it is the cause more deaths than any other large animal, including crocodiles or lions. When attacking a person, he uses his head as a battering ram. Its fangs are very dangerous, reaching a length of 50 cm. The hippopotamus is not afraid to attack boats and is able to turn over not too large of them.

Over the past 10 years, the hippo population has decreased by 7-20%. Between 125,000 and 148,000 individuals have been recorded in 29 countries within its geographic range. Although poaching is illegal, it remains the main killer of these animals. The most affected by poaching are hippos inhabiting unprotected lands. Habitat loss is another factor in the decline of the hippopotamus population. Hippos depend on freshwater bodies of water, which makes them vulnerable to droughts, agricultural and industrial production, and rerouting of natural water flows.

There are measures to preserve the hippopotamus population aimed at protecting natural habitats. In countries where there is a high population of hippos, there are strict rules against hunting. Hippo habitats, namely National parks, reserves, museum-reserves are under careful protection.

hippopotamus- a large herbivorous mammal that spends most of its time in the water. Animals live in fresh water, only occasionally hippos can be in salt water. sea ​​water.

Another name for the hippopotamus is the hippopotamus. Animals, along with, take second place after the weight: some individuals can reach 4 or more tons.

Currently hippos: cold or tropical climate hippopotamus can't stand it.

This report is devoted to the description of hippos, their way of life and behavior.

Appearance

At the beginning of the message, it was already mentioned that hippos are one of the largest land animals. Usually their weight is 2-3 tons, but can exceed 4 tons. At the same time, the length of adult hippos can be more than 5 meters! The tail of a hippopotamus alone is almost 60 cm long.

Hippos have a characteristic appearance: a very wide muzzle with small eyes and ears, as well as big nostrils, barrel-shaped body and very short legs. The skin of hippos is very thick, greyish-brown, without hair.

Hippo habitats

Hippos are vital for water, in which they spend most of their time. daylight hours, therefore, animals settle where there is fresh water. For hippos, the desert is not suitable or a tropical forest, For example. Hippos live in the savannah. If the living conditions have deteriorated (it happens that the reservoirs dry up), the hippos leave in search of a new shelter.

Occasionally it happens that a hippopotamus swims a considerable distance and ends up in salty sea water. But still, this happens quite rarely, since hippos feel most comfortable in a fresh water pond.

Lifestyle

Usually hippos are kept in groups of 2-3 dozen individuals. Sometimes there are many more animals in the herd. During the day, hippos lie in the water. In this case, only part of the face and back is visible. Hippos can swim or walk along the bottom of a pond. Animals can hold their breath for quite a long time - sometimes up to 10 minutes.

Hippos are herbivores, but they do not like water plants and feed on land mainly at night.

A hippopotamus can live for about 40 years, and in captivity, a zoo - more than 50 years. Among hippos, as well as among people, there are centenarians: science knows the case when a female hippo lived for 60 years.

Human danger

Hippos are very aggressive animals, as evidenced by the constant fights between males. You can often hear a message that a hippo attacked a person. According to statistics, hippos attack people even more often than lions and other predators.

Hunting for hippos

Inhabitants African continent hunt hippos for their meat, skin and teeth. Of particular value are the hippo teeth, which are called the hippopotamus bone. Africans make souvenirs from the teeth of animals, which are very expensive and highly valued.

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