The hippopotamus whose name, literally translated, means River Horse, comes from the swamps, lakes and rivers of Africa. They are not considered to be endangered, but even though they are enormous they still have natural predators - crocodiles, lions, hyenas and leopards. A hippo can expect to live for 40 years.
A hippo can grow to 4.5' (1.4m) high and about 13' (4m) long. They can weigh as much as 570 stones (3650 kg)! They are almost hairless, with a HUGE mouth that can open 4' (1.2m) wide!
Hippos are herbivores and eat between 1 and 1.5% of their body weight in vegetation each day. They are mainly nocturnal (most active at night), and spend most of their days resting in water. They can stay completely submerged for up to half an hour, but generally come up to breathe every 5-6 minutes. At night they emerge from the water to feed.
The hippo is a very aggressive mammal; its sharp lower canine teeth can grow up to 72cm long. In Africa they are thought to have killed more people than crocodiles!
