All About Hippos for Kids: Hippopotamus for Children - FreeSchool

Let's learn about hippos. Native to Africa, the hippopotamus is easily identified by its large, heavy body that is shaped like a barrel, thick, short legs, and big mouth with large teeth. Hippos are mammals, meaning they breathe air, they are warm-blooded, and they feed their baby's milk. Unlike most mammals, hippos have very little hair. The only hair they have is a little around their mouths and at the tip of their tails. Instead, hippos have incredibly thick skin, about 2 inches or 6 centimeters thick, which helps protect them from predators. They are very large, reaching lengths of up to 14 feet or 4.5 meters. Hippos are the third heaviest land animal on earth. Only rhinoceros and elephants are heavier. Male hippos, or bulls, may weigh up to 4,000 pounds or 1,800 kilograms, and hippos usually live about 50 years. The name hippopotamus comes from the ancient Greek word for river horse, and it is easy to see why. Hippos can be found in rivers, lakes, and swamps in the part of Africa south of the Sahara Desert. Hippos are semi-aquatic, meaning that although they often walk on land, they spend most of their time in the water. They even give birth to their babies in the water! Baby hippos, called calves, are born much smaller than their parents, usually less than 100 pounds or 45 kilograms. Although they spend so much time in the water, hippos are not good swimmers and do not float. They tend to stay in shallow water or mud, where they can keep the top of their heads out of the water while still touching the bottom. Fortunately for hippos, their eyes, ears, and nostrils are all at the top of their heads. When hippos do venture into deeper water, they can walk along the bottom, but they will often move along by using their feet to push off of the river bottom. When underwater, a hippo's nostrils will close, and they can hold their breath for up to five minutes. Staying mostly underwater during the day helps keep them cool and protect the hippopotamus from the hot African sun. As the sun goes down, hippos will climb out of the water to eat grass. A full-grown hippo will eat about 88 pounds or 40 kilograms of food per night. If the hippopotamus is still out of the water when the sun comes back up, their body can produce its own sunscreen. People once thought that this red-orange substance was caused by hippos' sweating blood, but really, it just protects the hippo's skin from sunburn for a short time while they are out of the water. The hippo is one of the fiercest and most dangerous animals in the world. Some of their teeth can reach lengths of 20 inches or 50 centimeters, and the teeth will sharpen themselves as they grind against each other. Although they seem slow, hippos can run on land at speeds of up to 19 miles or 30 kilometers per hour. They are very protective of their calves and territory, and they are aggressive. Hippos will often attack people or even attack and sink boats. Crocodiles, lions, and hyenas will sometimes eat young hippos, but fully-grown hippos are not usually eaten by any other animals because of their size and ferocity. Hippos are sometimes killed by an entire pride of lions working together, but it is rare. Hippos once ranged across nearly all of Africa, aside from the deserts. Today, they are confined mostly to protected areas. Humans are pushing hippos out of their habitats so that bigger farms, new cities, and more roads can be built. Some hippos are killed as they come into conflict with people, but many are shot by poachers for their meat, their fat, and their ivory teeth. Because of this, hippos are now considered vulnerable to extinction. People are working hard to try to help save hippos. Fences and ditches can help protect farms from hippos so that farmers do not have a reason to shoot them. Bigger wildlife parks give hippos more places to live, and also attract tourists who pay to see hippos and other animals in the wild. If we protect hippos, they may still be around for years to come. I hope you enjoyed learning about hippos today. Goodbye till next time!