Hippos - Awkward and Lovable!

I’m sure you are familiar with the song “I want a Hippopotamus for Christmas,” the song was actually written for some Zoo that was trying to get a new hippo. In all seriousness though, could you imagine getting a hippopotamus for Christmas and it being in your garage? I know I certainly couldn’t.

Hippopotamus is actually Greek, hippo meaning “horse” and potamus meaning “river”. It is rather funny that their name means horse because the hippopotamus is more closely related to the pig than the horse.

Hippopotamus actually live for a pretty long time, at least 50 years and they can weigh as much as 3 ½ tons and be as long as 13 feet and 5 feet tall. This probably has something to do with the fact they don’t have too many predators. The only predators they really have to look out for are humans. When it comes to young hippopotamus, they have to beware the crocodiles, lions and even male hippopotamus. Another reason they live so long is there are not very susceptible to diseases, so if they are in a suitable habitat their numbers can increase pretty quickly.

A female hippopotamus carries her young for 230 days and then gives birth on either land or in shallow water. The baby hippo can weigh anywhere from 55 to 120 pounds. Shortly after they are born, baby hippos are taught how to swim, because hippos spend most of their time in water. An adult hippo can hold it’s breathe for 5 to 6 minutes under water, where as a baby can only hold it for half a minute. This is why you will see baby hippos lying on top of their mothers back in the water.

Despite their huge size hippos are herbivores, which means that they only eat plants. Since they are so big, hippos can eat 100 pounds of grass a night. This is when they most often come out of the water - to eat. Another time you might see them out of the water is in the early morning lying in the sun by the shore, that is if no humans are around.

So the next time you hear, “I want a Hippopotamus for Christmas” you can actually visualize what a 7,000 pound animal would look like in your garage or swimming pool. I think it’s probably best to leave the hippos at the Zoo and in their natural habitat, don't you. :-)

Do you love hippos so much that you are looking to adopt a stuffed hippo? Don't hesitate to stop by our stuffed animal store. We have the perfect stuffed hippo for you!

Resource:
Hippo Facts