the.com/hippopotamus
a three-ton vegetarian that kills more humans than any other African mammal.
means A large, semiaquatic African mammal with a barrel-shaped body, enormous mouth, and short legs, spending its days in rivers and lakes to keep its sensitive skin cool.
from Straight from the Greek: hippos (horse) plus potamos (river) — literally a 'river horse,' the name ancient Greek travelers gave the strange beasts they saw wallowing in the Nile. It came into English through Latin, which is why the plural can be either 'hippopotamuses' or the mock-classical 'hippopotami.'
- closest relatives
- Whales and dolphins, not pigs
- sweat
- Secretes a red oily sunscreen-antibiotic combo
- speed
- Outruns a human at 30 km/h
- bite force
- Cracks a watermelon like a grape
- underwater nap
- Surfaces to breathe while still asleep
pablo escobar's hippos — 4 escaped hippos from colombian drug lord's private zoo in 1993, now 150+ roam puerto triunfo
marius the copenhagen hippo — young male shot and dissected at copenhagen zoo in 2014 despite global outcry
kingsley lake hippo — solitary hippo living alone in uganda's kingsley lake for decades, dies 2024