Hippopotamus

Hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibious)



Details

Shoulder Height		: Males 150 cm
Average Weight		: Males 1500 kg : Females 1300 kg
Gestation		: 7 1/2 Months
Number of Young		: 1 Calve
Longevity		: 40 Years
S.C.I. Minimum Score		: 50
S.C.I. Record Score		: 88 3/16
Rowland Ward Minimum Length		: 29 7/8"
Rowland Ward Record Length		: 64 1/2"
General		The Hippopotamus is a mammal that has adapted to a aquatic lifestyle. They live in permanent stretches of water, venture out to feed inland at night, sometimes up to several kilometers from the water. They form schools of 6 - 15 animals, with a dominant male. They are generally very placid animals, but can get very aggressive, indeed in some areas of Africa, such as the Okavango swamps, they account for more deaths than the crocodile. They have very large permanent incisor and canine teeth, and these are pig razor sharp by constant friction against each other. They are highly selective grazers, eating up to 130 kgs of green grass at a time. They will crop short grass until it looks like a well manicured lawn. They do not use their teeth to graze however, they use the hard edges of their lips, and use their back teeth only to chew the food.