Hippos are huge, round animals that spend most of their day relaxing in rivers and lakes in Africa. Their name means 'river horse,' but they're more related to whales than horses! Let's splash into some fun hippo facts!
🦛 Hippo quick facts
- Animal type
- Mammal
- Home
- Rivers, lakes and swamps in Africa
- Food
- Mostly grass
- Size
- About 11 to 16 feet (3.3 to 5 m) long
- Life span
- About 40 to 50 years
25 Hippo Facts for Kids
- The word hippopotamus means 'river horse' in ancient Greek.
- Hippos live in Africa, in rivers, lakes and swamps.
- Hippos are one of the largest land animals, after elephants and some rhinos.
- An adult hippo can weigh around 1,500 to 3,200 kilograms (3,300 to 7,000 pounds).
- Hippos spend up to 16 hours a day in the water to stay cool.
- Even though they live in water, hippos can't really swim. They walk or push off the bottom.
- A hippo can hold its breath underwater for about five minutes.
- Hippos can even sleep underwater and float up to breathe without waking up.
- Their eyes, ears and nostrils are on top of their heads, so they can see, hear and breathe while almost hidden in water.
- Hippos close their ears and nostrils when they go underwater.
- Hippos make a reddish oily liquid on their skin that works like sunscreen and helps keep their skin moist.
- At night, hippos come out of the water to eat grass.
- One hippo can eat around 35 to 40 kilograms (80 pounds) of grass in a night.
- Hippos can open their mouths very wide, nearly 180 degrees.
- A hippo's big tusk-like teeth keep growing all its life.
- Hippos look slow, but on land they can run about as fast as a person can sprint over short distances.
- A group of hippos is called a pod, a herd or a bloat.
- Baby hippos are called calves, and they are often born in the water.
- Baby hippos can drink milk underwater.
- Hippos 'talk' with grunts, honks and wheezes that can be heard far away.
- The closest living relatives of hippos are whales and dolphins.
- Pygmy hippos are a smaller kind that live in West African forests.
- Hippos are very protective of their space and can be dangerous to people, so they are best watched from far away.
- Birds sometimes ride on hippos' backs and eat bugs off their skin.
- Hippos help their river homes by fertilizing the water, which feeds fish and other animals.
Questions kids ask about hippos
Can hippos swim?
Not really! Hippos are too heavy to float well, so they walk along the bottom or bounce off it while holding their breath.
What do hippos eat?
Hippos are herbivores. They come out at night to graze on grass and can eat around 80 pounds of it at a time.
Where do hippos live?
Hippos live in Africa, in rivers, lakes and swamps where they can stay cool in the water during the day.
Are hippos related to horses?
No. Even though their name means 'river horse,' hippos are most closely related to whales and dolphins.
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