Hippopotamus Facts and Information

Fun Hippopotamus Facts and Information

They weigh in excess of 5,000lbs, so they are more powerful than you think.

They can swim 30 mph and run 20 mph, which is incredibly fast for their size. You will probably get closer than you should because you have a false sense of security, thinking “I can outrun that thing.”

Their front teeth can reach nearly 15″ in length, so they are essentially small swords, and they can open their mouths wider than just about any other animal.

Their skin is several inches thick, so most guns won’t even penetrate it. The gun you are carrying for protection is most likely not strong enough to hurt them unless you hit the soft spots (eyes, belly).

Hippopotamus Facts and Information – Dangerous!

They are extremely aggressive and territorial. Because of their shape and stature, the best method of defending themselves is attacking.

Along with what others have posted regarding their aggressiveness and territoriality, the majority of hippo fatalities come from conflict over crops.

Farmers grow crops in fields along the riverbanks and hippos see this as an easy source of food. The hungry hippos find their way into the fields, the villagers obviously try and scare them away from their livelihood, which they depend on to survive, and the hippo usually doesn’t go without a fight.

HIPPOPOTAMUS FACTS AND INFORMATION – Natural sunscreen

Their skin is very thick, often preventing bullets penetrating all of the way through. Combined with their large bulk and enormous teeth, they’re very formidable, and can run at speeds of 18mph (30km/h). It’s easy to see why aggressive encounters often go amiss if you’re a human.

HIPPOPOTAMUS FACTS AND INFORMATION – last random fact

Random hippo fun fact: hippo milk is bright pink! Hipposudoric acid and norhipposudoric acid are red compounds hippos produce as sunscreen and to fight off microbial infection (which you kinda’ want if you sit in dirty water all day). It’s also mixed in with their white milk to give their babies an early immune boost, hence the colour. Woo.

The late Steve Irwin, a man who used to tackle 12-foot crocodiles for fun and wave angry snakes filled with kill-you-before-your-next-heartbeat poison at a camera, considered a five-minute sequence where his camera team had to cross a river filled with hippos to be the single most dangerous moment ever filmed on his show.

The man who toyed with crocodiles, was scared crazy of hippos.”