Hello people, I hope you are well and enjoying this beautiful Sunday. Today I want to talk to you about a well-known animal, which also has a tender and friendly appearance. However, the hippopotamus is considered one of the most dangerous animals in Africa, even beating the lion and the crocodile.
"THE HIPPO"
Its name comes from the Greek and means "river horse", since it spends most of the day submerged in water.
After the elephant, it is positioned as the largest and heaviest land animal, reaching a weight of 2-3 tons at maturity.
People seeing it as huge mistakenly believe that it is a carnivorous animal, yet it is herbivorous, basing its diet on plants.
During the night they go out to graze, walking in a row for about 10 km in search of their food. When they find a place with plenty of food, they are able to eat for about 5 hours and it is estimated that they eat 70 kg of food daily.
Since they live in Africa, they must protect their bodies from the intense sun. This is why they spend 16 hours a day submerged refreshing themselves. If they cannot find water, they use mud.
But how can they be in the water for so long?
Their nostrils as well as their eyes are located at the top of their head, allowing them to see and breathe while keeping the rest of the body submerged.
It can also be found resting on the banks, where they secrete a red fluid that moistens them, protecting them from the sun and from insects.
They live for around 50 years and are characterized by continuing to grow in size until they are 25.
-There are two kinds of hippos:
The Africans: they are found in areas of rivers and lakes. They mainly inhabit Ethiopia, Sudan, The Congo and Somalia.
The pygmies: They are found in the westernmost part of Africa. They are in danger of extinction because of the destruction of their natural habitat
They are considered one of the most dangerous animals in the world for their aggressive nature.
Being very territorial animals, they cannot bear the idea of having to share their space in the water with other species that are not part of their family. That is why they will not hesitate for a second having to face death if they feel invaded.
However, this behavior occurs mostly in water. On land they are usually less aggressive, as long as they do not lack food.
In the event that food or water is scarce, they will kill other animals or humans, not to eat them since they are herbivores, but because they consider them enemies capable of keeping their valuable food.
Needless to say, he uses his brute force and powerful teeth to fight, which reach a length of about 60 cm. In addition to being on the ground they are able to run at a speed of 45 km / h.
Another factor that drives them out of their boxes is being a mother. Female hippos, like most animals, when they have to take care of their young, are able to face any type of threat, even if it cost them their lives.
I hope you enjoyed it as much as me. I had no idea that the cute-looking hippo was able to top the list of "Africa's most aggressive animals."
Greetings to all :)