HIPPOPOTAMUS Swahili Name : Kiboko Weight : Males 3,300 lb - 6,600 lb (1,500 - 3,000 Kgs) Females 2,200 lb - 4,400 lb (1,000 - 2,000 Kgs) Height : 4 ft 5 in - 5 ft 3 in (1.4 - 1.6 m) Length : 10 ft - 12 ft (3 - 3.7 m), plus tail another 1 ft 4 in - 1 ft 6 in (40 - 45 cm) Gestation : 8 months Young : 1 Lifespan : 35 years Identification : Hippos are distantly related to pigs and have four webbed toes on the front and hind feet. They are second only to the elephant in terms of weight and possess a formidable set of permanently growing canine tusks, with those in the lower jaw measuring up to 1ft 8in (50cm). The name hippopotamus is derived from a Greek word meaning river horse, due to their rater horse-like profile when partially submerged. Their skin is traditionally used to make whips, which are called kibokos in East Africa and Asjamboks in southern Africa. Voice : Hippos communicate with a variety of raucous bellowing noises, oinks, snorts and grunts. They suck in their breath and make a menacing hiss when threatened. Habitat : Rivers, lakes and swamps, preferably with sandy banks to lie and access to grassy as foraging sites. Habits : Nocturnal and diurnal. Hippos are gregarious, and are usually found in groups of 10 - 20 females with a territorial male who has exclusives breeding rights with the females. The dominant bull forces adolescent males to leave the herd when they are seven to eight years old and some males live in bachelor groups or remain solitary. Larger herds of 50 - 100 hippos are not uncommon, and during periods of overcrowding or when very dry spells occur they may gather in their hundreds. Hippos spend much of the day partially submerged on sand banks, and produce an oily red secretion to protect the thin epidermis of their 2 in (5 cm) thick skin from overheating and drying out in the sun. They can stay beneath the water for periods of one to five minutes, and are capable of snoozing while submerged, resurfacing to breathe automatically. Hippos generally walk on the bottom rather than swim. They emerge from the river shortly after duck via well-worn hippo trails carved into the steep banks. Individuals can eat approximately 100 lb (45 Kgs) of food per night, sometimes wandering on a round trip of up to 5 miles (8 Kms) in search of suitable grazing before returning to the river at dawn. During their nightly wanderings bulls advertise their presence by vigorously wagging their thick hairy tails while defecating, thus scattering dung and urine against bushes and the bases of trees (and the hippo trails leading to and from the water). On meeting, territorial bulls turn their backs and shower each other with dung and urine before continuing on their way.
Posted on: Tue, 02 Dec 2014 12:42:10 +0000
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