A common hippopotamus Hippopotamus amphibious, found in Africa, weights up to 3200 kilograms or 7040 pounds and stands about 1.6 metrees or 5.25 feet tall. It is a large vegetarian mammal of the family Hippopotamidae. It has a pale grey, scaly skin and its nick name is a river horse.
Hippos are now an endangered species in their natural environment, although they seem to do well in zoos and wildlife parks. They dehydrate very quickly, almost twice as quickly as humans when deprived of water, so they always make sure they stay close to pools and other sources of water.
When underwater, adults need to breathe every two to five minutes and smaller offspring every 30 seconds. When out of water, the skin of a hippo produces a red oily fluid that protects its skin from getting sunburn. Normally, the hippo spends its day wallowing in shallow water and just getting out at night to graze on vegetation.
Hippos are now an endangered species in their natural environment, although they seem to do well in zoos and wildlife parks. They dehydrate very quickly, almost twice as quickly as humans when deprived of water, so they always make sure they stay close to pools and other sources of water.
When underwater, adults need to breathe every two to five minutes and smaller offspring every 30 seconds. When out of water, the skin of a hippo produces a red oily fluid that protects its skin from getting sunburn. Normally, the hippo spends its day wallowing in shallow water and just getting out at night to graze on vegetation.
