Hippos are animals known for being one of the largest mammals on earth but also one of the most violent, becoming the only reference for people who do not know it. In this article we will learn more about the characteristics of the hippopotamus, habitat and everything related to this animal.
Characteristics of the Hippopotamus
At a scientific level, the hippopotamus is known as Hippotamos, which encompasses two types in this family, which are the Hippopotamus amphibius and Choeropsis liberiensis. Translated they are known as common hippopotamus and pygmy hippopotamus, a big difference from one another is that the common hippopotamus is larger than the pygmy and the number of its kind abounds.
It is believed that several species existed more than 1000 years ago in various places, but today only those named above managed to survive. In the Spanish language they are known as “river beasts”. Common hippopotamuses number 125000, the number of pygmy hippopotamuses in the wild is estimated at 3000.
Morphology
Hippopotamuses are known for being huge animals, in fact they are the third largest animal on land, the white rhino being in second place weighing 3 ½ tons, and winning the first place is the elephant thinking 9 tons, the hippopotamus is one of the heaviest animals, managing to weigh from 1300 to 1800 kg. His body is smooth skinned, short legs and lacks hair in almost all parts of his body.
Compared to males, females are smaller, weighing an average of 1300 kg – 1500 kg, they stop their stage of development and growth at 25 years of age. The males that weigh the most are the oldest, ranging between 3500 kg – 4500 kg on average, unlike females, males do not stop growing, it is a process that will last their entire lives.
Hippopotamuses have large mouths in which their large ivory teeth are located, measuring an average of 0,5 m, their small ears are located just above their heads, as are their eyes and nostrils, which are almost on the same height, this helps the hippo to hear, see and smell while submerged in water, it can last 5 minutes without breathing underwater.
Its large body is very fat and long, its neck is too short, it has a very drooping abdomen, in fact, in swampy terrain they tend to drag it, its skeleton is graviportal, which implies that the lower extremities such as the legs , with very short compared to the rest of its body that is very large and extensive, its stomach is divided into 3 chambers, the hippopotamus can support the weight of several animals on top of it.
The color of its body is purple gray, varying the color in some parts that are the ears and the eyes that around it boast a brown with pink tones, with this animal it is common to see albino hippos.
One of its most intimidating features is being able to open its jaw 150°. It has 3 pairs of incisors and canines in the lower part of the jaw, which are its large and fearsome fangs that can reach 50 cm in length. Coming to weigh 4 kg each, they are curved and triangle-shaped. In the upper jaw, its teeth are much smaller and less strong compared to the lower ones, they maintain the same structure as the others.
They develop a red coat that helps protect them from the sun, many people were confused and thought that the animal sweated blood, in fact at first this liquid is transparent, as the minutes pass it turns red until it finally turns color Brown. They also develop another layer, the difference is that this one is made of fat and helps them to float better in the water.
Due to its physical appearance, many have thought that it is related to pigs or wild boars, these animals have no ties or kinship, in fact the closest relatives of the hippopotamus are the cetaceans from which they separated more than 50 million years ago. Whales and hippos share an ancestor from 70 million years ago which preferred to separate from different ungulates.
Despite their short legs, their great weight and size, they are capable of running at the average speed that a human would do, even more, reaching 30 – 50km/h, however, they can run at that speed at distances not very long.
Habitat
They are currently found in sub-Saharan Africa, specifically in Sudan, Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, northern Congo and western Gambia, another population is found in Botswana, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Zambia, which is located in southern Africa, a small number live in Tanzania and Mozambique. In Colombia you can find some hippos due to the zoo that belonged to the famous drug trafficker Pablo Escobar. They are found in lakes and rivers.
Previously there were various types of hippopotamuses in various places. Through North Africa, South Europe and Southeast Asia. This animal was very common in Egypt, they lived in the Nile River, in fact they belong to Egyptian mythology, although they are already extinct in that place, it was represented as the Goddess Tueris, she reflected the protection of pregnant mothers, and fertility This is due to the care of the females for their children who protect them with great vigor and strength in the face of any danger.
Food
Unlike what many believed, the hippopotamus is a herbivorous animal, many have been impressed to learn this fact because its large size and huge teeth implied that it eats meat, in reality the hippopotamus does not have enough agility and speed to be able to hunt a living being, cases of cannibalism among themselves due to necessity have been mentioned, an act committed by the adult males of the group, from which the smallest, sick and oldest hippos suffer, but this is Consider a special case.
This behavior has a very low probability of happening, so it is considered a very rare and special case, this may be due to nutritional stress or rare behaviors typical of a specific hippopotamus, since the stomach of this animal is not designed to consume and tolerate meat.
Hippopotamuses feed on plants and herbs, which they obtain when they leave the water to graze, in cases of not being able to do so due to the lack of vegetation due to forestation or global warming, they eat herbs from the water, but they prefer the terrestrial ones. They can consume a day 70 kilos of herbs, plants and some fruit if they are available.
Behavior
Hippos are territorial when they are in the water, each male will mark his space, they are usually very aggressive when they feel danger, it has been considered the most dangerous and aggressive animal in Africa. When marking their own territory they use their excrement while moving their tail, this animal can kill other animals by practically being next to them, their temperament level is very low, they even manage to fight crocodiles for space in the water. Unlike water, hippos do not show any territorial conflict when going to graze.
Their active time is at night, the day is taken to be in the water or to be covered in mud, they use one of these two options due to the enormous heat that exists in their habitat, it helps to calm the temperature, so that their skin not be so dry, you can stay hydrated and conserve energy. They come out of the water in the afternoon to be able to graze at night, which is more comfortable thanks to the absence of the sun that dries their skin a lot, they are able to walk a little more than 8 kilometers in order to get their food.
To refer to the groups of hippopotamuses, it is called herd or herd, which consists of 5 or 30 members, of which they are made up of a male and many females, which are the ones that the male chooses and considers to be suitable for be the mothers of their children. The males to defend their females from another male who wants them in his group can even kill him.
They almost always dispose of their needs in the water, whose function is not well defined, since they create establishments of organic matter in the riverbeds. The youngest hippos can swim, move and float very calmly and easily, they achieve this by exerting force with their hind legs causing the impulse, they come to the surface every 2 or 3 minutes to take a breath, they do this automatically.
Adults, unlike young people, can no longer swim or float, when they are in the water they use small jumps to be able to move in it, hippos need to go out for air every 3 to 5 minutes, as this was previously mentioned. It is automatic, even though they are asleep, they will float up for air without the need to wake up.
Their way of communicating is very varied, since they can be by grunts and bellows, it is also believed that they communicate through echolocation, they can emit loud sounds that reverberate in the air and water, which most hippos hear. wherever they are. They are not social, the males get together with males if they are single, compared to the females that may be accompanied by other females, the alpha male always remains alone, when they leave the water they all do it separately.
When alpha males mark their territory as their own, they decide who can be in or near it. In the event that another male is in the vicinity, they must respect the herd of the dominant male and not try to court any of the females. They must also succumb to the dominance of the male. group boss. The chiefs can enlarge their group as much as they want of females, the territory that they usually separate in the water usually ranges in average 250 m in length, in which they express their desire to mate.
There may be the possibility that a young male challenges the dominant male to take his place and stay with his herd, in the fight the one who has shown more strength will win, in extreme cases one of them dies, if the young male loses, then he will try to have his herd on his own by creating one from scratch.
Hippos do not tend to have natural predators due to their great strength and little tolerance, but this is valid when they are adults, there are animals such as cheetahs or even crocodiles that have come to attack the youngest, they do not die without a fight, in If the mother of the little hippopotamus is nearby, it will defend it with great anger and strength, due to its large size and weight, it can face almost any threat.
Reproduction
Females reach their sexual age between 5-6 years of age, reaching puberty between 3-4 years of age, males experience their sexual awakening between 7-8 years of age. The male must wait for the female to come into heat.
When the male and the female mate they do it under water, the female from time to time will take her head out of the water to take in air, the gestation period lasts 8 months, they are born at the beginning of the wet season, after that a female is born. breeding, sometimes two, the little hippopotamus is born under water, at the moment of birth it swims only towards the surface, its weight ranges between 25 and 45 kg measuring on average 125 cm in length approximately. The male hippopotamus will be virile and active all the time, the female will have to wait 17 months to be able to ovulate again.
The little hippopotamus will submerge in the water to be able to feed on its mother who will breastfeed it, they can also feed on it when they come out of the water, the mothers help and teach their children to swim in very deep waters. Hippos should become self-sufficient between 8-9 months of age, however many continue to rely on their mothers for little things, in the end the hippopotamus usually ends up being independent by the time they are one year old.
The only relationship that is forged in the herd of hippos is that of mother and son since they take care of it and defend it with great dedication, the process of raising hippos is considered excellent, since the females strive for education and development of each of their children. Their life expectancy is usually 40 years, it can vary from less to more in the wild, in captivity they can live 50 years, even more, there is evidence of a hippopotamus that lived in Germany, died at 61 years.
PREMIUM QUALITY
Currently there are two species of hippos which, with the common and the pygmy, have some physical and environmental differences, but the two share their little temperament and great hostile and aggressive behavior.
Hippopotamus
The common hippopotamus lives in the warmer and calmer rivers and waters, it is slightly larger than the pygmy hippopotamus, they weigh up to 3 tons. This species enjoys being able to live freely in its habitat, the number of its species is higher compared to its relative.
pygmy hippopotamus
The pygmy hippopotamus lives in dense forests in Africa, found in Guinea and Nigeria, so it submerges in swampy waters, another difference it has with its relative is that it is more terrestrial. This hippopotamus weighs considerably less than the common hippopotamus, weighing a ton and not exceeding that amount, its body is a little more harmonious since its head has more symmetry with its body and its legs are longer and more stylized.
This species, compared to the other, does not enjoy full freedom, most live in captivity when they are declared endangered, their number is seriously low, it is expected that by keeping them in captivity they can recover in a reasonable time the amount of population they enjoyed. before. In behavior, there is not much difference, they like to be alone, and parents helped their children up to 3 years of age.
It is easier to maintain the pygmy hippopotamus economically since they eat less food and are usually a little more docile, however, when they feel threatened they will unleash their aggressive nature.
However, it is worth mentioning the known species that have become extinct for which there is more evidence of their past existence, this has been based on found fossils that have studied each of these bones with great dedication and detail.
It existed a thousand years ago, even many believe that it became extinct after what is calculated, it is the hippopotamus of Madagascar, in the fossils found it has been shown that its physical appearance was very similar to the pygmy hippopotamus.
In Europe and part of it, a hippopotamus lived 1,6 million years ago, which can be said to have been the Pleistocene epoch, which depended more on being submerged in water, coming out of it very rarely, and its diet was in much larger quantities than the other species mentioned above, it disappeared definitively in the last glaciation that the earth experienced, to refer to this species it is known as the European hippopotamus.
There was another species of hippopotamus that was also in force in the Pleistocene, to later migrate to Europe, this was approximately 2,5 million years ago. It is estimated that it weighed more than 4 tons, measuring 4 meters long and two meters high, which is why it was heavier and stronger than the common hippopotamus we have today.
The Archeopotamus, were on earth 7,5 million years ago, were located in Africa and the Middle East. Its name translates as "ancient of the river", it is known that among the physical characteristics, it contained three pairs of incisors, it had a large mandibular symphysis, it is considered the oldest among the species.
Pygmy hippopotamus of Cyprus or also known as Cyprus dwarf hippopotamus, it lived on the island of Cyprus, it was very small, measuring 76 cm tall and 121 cm long, weighing 200 kg, it was dwarf due to the process of insular dwarfism. Despite its small size, it was the largest animal on the island of Cyprus, it disappeared from the earth 11.000 years ago, it is believed that its extinction was caused by the humans who inhabited the island.
The Cretan dwarf hippopotamus that inhabited the island of Crete, is divided into two subspecies, the hippopotamus creutzburgi parvus, which was the smallest of this species, and the hippopotamus creutzburgi. Its fossils were found west of the island of Crete in 1920.
Evolution
Hippopotamuses are very ancient animals, it is estimated that they have been on earth for more than 55 million years. It was believed that the relatives of this animal were pigs or wild boars, so they carried out a DNA test that confirmed that they have no type of relationship or relationship. In the end, their relationship to cetaceans such as porpoises and whales was discovered.
Like the whales, there is the idea that the hippopotamus was a terrestrial animal only, where its home was full of dense and very thick forest to be able to protect its skin from the sun's rays, for which the absence of hair would be justified. in almost all of his body.
Due to later climatic and terrestrial changes that caused deforestation and a great increase in temperature, the shoreline submerged in water, the difference with the whales is that the hippos became semi-aquatic.
Its evolution has been marked by its large size, becoming larger and heavier, since fossils of hippopotamuses have been found that show its considerable small size, the hippopotamus had a slow evolution and development process, which in the end bore its fruits. which are now very fearsome animals due to their appearance.
hippopotamuses were able to survive all these changes we cannot say that all species managed to survive, it is not possible to calculate exactly how many species of hippos have disappeared from the earth, but for now we are aware of 3 species that existed in the past, of which last one disappeared approximately 1000 years ago.
It is hoped they can get more hippopotamus fossils. Some have been discovered in various places that could be said to be unthinkable as a habitat for this animal, an example of this was when fossils were found in New England, it is not known exactly if the hippos were native there or if they undertook a trip, They arrived at this place and in the end they were unable to adapt to the temperatures because this animal does not have hair on a large part of its body, which means that it can only tolerate hot climates.
It is expected that this and many other doubts about its existence will be resolved soon, many hypotheses have arisen about its past, its extinct species and its current evolution, for which many scientists and researchers are still in force, not stopping their curiosity to be able to solve these great unknowns.
Named in State of Vulnerability
Despite the fact that the number of its species is not as low as that of other animals, there has been a significant decline in the hippopotamus in recent years, even reaching the extinction of several species in many places such as North Africa or North Africa. Europe, and this can be verified by fossils found and written in which the hippopotamus has been part of mythology such as the Egyptian, for example, being even praised as a God called Seth, this happened when seeing the red pigment that sprouted in their skin.
But fossils dating back several million years have been found in which deep hunting marks are found, this is corroborated by various writings, and ancient paintings; They date back 5 years.
Records of hippo hunting have been found to use them as exotic fighting or battle animals, the only best known and mentioned case being that of Felipe I, who used these animals to fight against the Romans, due to the force and fury they admire from him.
A long time later came one of its darkest and most tragic seasons, which would be the hunting of hippos, many believed that this animal was not good or useful for the rest of the people, it was even named an exotic beast as it was the first animal that They will protect themselves for various fights with other animals. So it implies that the unbridled hunting by this animal is many centuries old.
One of its great declines was in 1970 where the second devastating war in the Republic of Congo occurred, in which many rebel soldiers who, for various reasons, together with their poor pay, shot this animal in order to be able to market all the parts of its body according to the demand, this was another time in which there were too many casualties of this animal since they sold their meat on the black market.
One of the great reasons today why the hippopotamus is highly sought after and hunted is because of its large amounts of meat that are sold on the black market to clients with particular tastes, and above all to tear out its ivory tusks for which they pay. great fortunes. Therefore, in 1989 laws had to be developed that prohibited the commercialization of ivory, this has currently been one of the great declines of this animal.
Illegal hunting became the daily bread of many, but this has led to the hippos being declared in 2006 by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as a vulnerable species, entering the red list.
His relationship with humans
Human beings have seen hippos as adorable, plump and peaceful beings, thanks to the fact that popular culture has used the image of this animal, making it a much-loved character among people, in fact it has become one of the most admired animals in zoos and natural and recreational parks.
A hippopotamus that remained in history and was a pioneer of the affection and fame that these animals would acquire later, it was called obaysch, it arrived in the London zoo in 1850, it attracted so much attention and there was so much affection towards this hippopotamus that they even composed a famous song in which he served as the protagonist, which is the hippopotamus polka, becoming a great classic of music, which has helped in the fame of Walt Disney.
In reality, humans have been exploiting this animal at different levels for many years, before they were only hunted for fun, ideologies as an insignificant animal without any use in the world to later be hunted for the parts of its body that can be sold to large quantities of money.
Their habitats have been destroyed on several occasions and we have even interfered with their daily feeding, so it is also the responsibility of human beings to have starved them to death, currently there are only two species of hippopotamus left, both with seriously low population numbers. , being the pygmy hippopotamus the one that has suffered the most.
Pablo Escobar's Hippos
A case that cannot be overlooked is about the hippos in the drug trafficker Pablo Escobar's zoo, since after the drug dealer's death, his hippos were completely free. They got areas in which to settle and start their new life.
This case deserves to be mentioned since these animals have received great contempt from the inhabitants of that country, the reasons for this feeling, is because being in full freedom they have taken over the territory, destroying the vegetation of the place and attacking to any living being that they meet along the way. It has even been said that the waste they leave in the river waters has created great contamination, this species is considered an invasive species.
These hippos have reproduced and at the moment there are 70-80 of them, this animal has undergone great torture, a situation that was widely commented on was that the famous drug trafficker fed his enemies to his hippos, it is considered a way due to the fact that hippos do not eat meat, although hippos should not be in that place, it has helped to a certain extent that the number of the population grows, the problems that these animals can cause are not at all justifiable, but there has been a response with a lot of hatred and violence to this species that has suffered a lot throughout its life.
In Africa, hippopotamuses have been the cause of several deaths of many people, this is due to the irritable temperament of this animal and more because they feel threatened since humanity has long and progressively invaded their habitat, in their talan invasion. trees, build roads, houses, industries that little by little are killing the hippopotamus, depriving it in many ways, this causes great stress on the part of the animal that is often caused by lack of food.
Sometimes it does not usually hurt people with a purpose, it is usually in some cases by accident, just as the threat instinct is always active and very much in force, especially that of mothers who will defend their young with great force, in general the human beings should not approach the areas of hippos, a person is not capable of dealing with such an animal, so it is necessary to have a limit on them, the most important being not to approach where they are.
The need of the inhabitants
Many villagers in the areas closest to the habitat of the hippos live in extreme poverty, so in order to survive they offer their services to hunt and kill the hippos, they do this for the merchants or for themselves to sell and eat. its meat, this huge animal provides huge amounts of meat that many have considered divine, which is why it is very famous, coveted and expensive on the black market.
The service of guiding hunters to this animal is also offered, another reason why they are hunted but this time by nearby African tribes, is for the skin with which they build weapons, different things for their homes or any need that may arise. , the hippopotamus, not being a furry animal, does not use its skin to cover itself from the cold since it will not develop warmth, but they do use it for weapons because of the texture, since it is thick, very difficult to go through, which is why it has helped several Aborigines for your personal protection.
Many have seen the act of hunting as a beneficial act for the economy and industry, since it is not only for the sale of the animal's body, it also has to do with the crops of many people, because the hippopotamus when grazing can even to walk 10 km to be able to look for food that are plants, tubers and even fruit and vegetables, there have been cases in which hippos have reached orchards and harvests in which they have ended up with the product of trade of several people, for Reasons like these say that they don't have an environmental impact on the planet assuming they are very useless to the world.
Good deeds for hippos
Something that can be recognized as a great good action is to create parks in their own natural habitat to care for and protect these animals from extinction problems, due to the great deforestation of their habitat, this is the case of the pygmy hippopotamus, which is the that has suffered the most losses, is on the verge of extinction, which is why many people have participated in associations that try to spread awareness about the life of this animal.
The pygmy hippopotamus, due to its size and weight, which is considerably less than that of the common hippopotamus, makes it easier for several hunters to kill them, since in the end they also have ivory teeth, people who try to do so are still in danger. since it is also of a wild and irritable nature, so it will defend itself with all its weight and strength, but for many it has been more manageable, captivity became the option they had left for their survival in the world.
These parks also have trained people for their proper care, using the best techniques that help the animal to better develop, also helping in its reproductive process so that they can increase their population number. This has also allowed many experts and scientists to study them more precisely, and helps people get to know it more closely, developing empathy with this animal.
At first, zoos limit their space on a flat floor with a pond, now for the comfort of the hippopotamus, they ensure that their space, which is their new home, is just like their natural habitat, several zoos have currently promoted this gesture towards animals so that there can be an understanding and we can observe its behavior as if it were in its wild state, so it has resulted in an approach by humans so that the hippopotamus can feel trust.
Thanks to all these acts, it is hoped little by little we will do our bit, human beings have been largely responsible for their deaths, the generations of now are expected to achieve an understanding and peaceful relationship, of course not by part of all human beings, but of those who deserve it to promote the life and care of this animal, both the pygmy hippopotamus and the common hippopotamus.
Curiosities
- The hippopotamus mortality rate is generally 600 deaths per year. Distributing 50 deaths annually on average.
- Formerly the Egyptians called hippos "water pigs", the Arabs named them "water buffalo".
- The ivory tusks of the hippos have more market value than the tusks of the elephants, because they maintain their color, while those of the elephant usually have yellow tones that can become more intense over time.
- The female is capable of killing a male despite the difference in weight and size, this has been seen when food is scarce and there is overpopulation, so the males resort to killing the young to fix this problem, however , the mothers do not allow it so easily since they become twice as aggressive, they become stronger and are able to face the adult males.
- Various small birds are responsible for removing many insects from their skin.
- In popular culture, the hippopotamus has managed to take everyone's heart, appearing recurrently in movies, books, comics, and series, what is characteristic is the pattern that is used for this animal, since due to its large size and weight it is used for scenes funny, so it is perceived as a cute, friendly and very funny animal.
The hippopotamus is an animal of very little patience, which has survived various changes and threats over the years, in which only two species have survived that are currently vulnerable, an animal that does not have many natural predators due to its intimidating appearance and great strength, but it has not been able to get rid of the most important and difficult predator to face, which is the human being.
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