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Did you know that the word hippopotamus means “river horse” in the Greek language? They don’t really look like horses, do they?

Hippos are not sleek and graceful, nor are they fast moving and liquid… that is, until they submerge themselves in liquid! Once a hippo is in the water, its horse-like grace becomes apparent. In fact, hippos are very well adapted to water, and spend most of their time there. Because their eyes, ears and nostrils are positioned atop their heads, hippos are able to breathe, see, hear and smell while most of their body is submerged.

The day passes, and the hippo is hanging out in a river or lake with its clan. But when night descends, the hippos emerge from the water to eat. It takes work to maintain the 3-5 tons of bulk that a hippo carries. They primarily feed on grasses which they shear with their horny lips. They only eat an average of 100 pounds of grass a night — which is not too much for such a large creature. Actually, hippopotamuses are the biggest nonruminating, even-toed, hoofed animals alive. And at one time, they populated African rivers with as many as 2,000 hippos in a 20 mile stretch of river — that’s a lot of hippo per square foot.

The hippopotamus stands at about five feet in height, and has thick, nearly hairless skin. Oily red drops of liquid seep from its pores. People once thought that the hippo sweat blood, but then came to discover that the substance helps to keep the hippo’s skin moist and healthy. The hippo’s mouth is enormous and opens very wide. Inside of its mouth, the hippo has continuously growing canine and incisor teeth which are worn away with all of that grazing. The lower canine teeth may grow to a length of 12 inches above the gum line.

As you might imagine, adult hippos don’t have many predators big enough to do them much harm. However, baby hippos must be protected from leopards, crocodiles, hyenas, lions and wild dogs until they are old enough — and big enough — to defend themselves. Hippopotamuses can live until the ripe old age of 40 years in the wild. Think of that the next time your mom or dad has a birthday!

Because hippos were so prominent in the river Nile of ancient Egypt, the people used to worship these awesome water creatures. Archeological evidence illustrates that the hippo was a symbol of fertility, and hippo goddesses were carved into amulets and worn around the neck of pregnant women to insure good health. Another reason to say hooray for hippos!