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Hippos are native to Africa and live mainly in sub-Saharan regions. They are semi-aquatic mammals and spend much of their time in slow-moving bodies of water like swamps, lakes, estuaries ...
The hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) (/ ˌ h ɪ p ə ˈ p ɒ t ə m ə s /; pl.: hippopotamuses; often shortened to hippo (pl.: hippos), further qualified as the common hippopotamus, Nile hippopotamus and river hippopotamus, is a large semiaquatic mammal native to sub-Saharan Africa.
The pygmy hippo is herbivorous, feeding on ferns, broad-leaved plants, grasses, and fruits it finds in the forests. A rare nocturnal forest creature, the pygmy hippopotamus is a difficult animal to study in the wild. Pygmy hippos were unknown outside West Africa until the 19th century.
There are two living species of hippopotamid in two genera; the pygmy hippo, Choeropsis liberiensis of the forests of west Africa, and the common hippo, Hippopotamus amphibius. The term hippopotamus can also be applied to hippopotamids in general, although it is most frequently used for the common hippo and its respective genus.
Estimates of hippo populations across Africa have varied wildlife, from 115,000 to 192,000 over the past decade. The study suggested standardizing survey methods and making use of newer ...
Hippos are characterized by large, barrel-shaped torsos, stocky legs, and large mouths containing equally large canine tusks. They are huge and stocky, but despite this frame, can run upwards of
A hippo at a river front in Chobe National Park. Chobe National Park, with its four ecosystems, is known for its largest wildlife concentration in Africa and extends over an area of 10,566 square kilometres (4,080 sq mi). Initially established as a reserve area in 1960 became the first gazetted national park in 1967.
The hippos also sustain an entire food chain. They browse the surrounding savannah by night and return to Mzima's pools by day, where their dung fertilises the water. Fruiting trees such as date and raffia palms , waterberries and figs grow beside the water, using their submerged roots to absorb nutrients.