Hippo

Description:

The hippopotamus is one of the most aggressive creatures in the world and is regarded as one of the most dangerous animals in Africa. This scene was a different story. This mother helped her young to get used to the water... Some Info: A single young is born either on land or in shallow water. In water, the mother helps the newborn to the surface, later teaching it to swim. Newly born hippos are relatively small, weighing from 55 to 120 pounds, and are protected by their mothers, not only from crocodiles and lions but from male hippos that, oddly enough, do not bother them on land but attack them in water. Picture number four was taken 2012 in Murchinson Falls in Uganda. I added it to show the footprint of a Hippo.

Habitat:

The hippos were seen at the Sabie River, close to the Lower Sabie Rest camp.

Notes:

The hippopotamus is semi-aquatic, inhabiting rivers, lakes and mangrove swamps, where territorial bulls preside over a stretch of river and groups of 5 to 30 females and young. By closing its ears and nostrils, the adult can stay under water for as long as six minutes. If you have seen a hippo with pink/red spots it is because they dont have sweat nor sebaceous glands but does have unique glands that produce a viscous red fluid, leading to the myth that hippos "sweat blood." The hippo relies on water or mud to keep it cool, and the red fluid may have a similar function, but it is often produced in copious amounts when the animal is excited. The fully grown hippo weights between 1,5 and 3,5 tonnes, and that makes them the third-largest living land mammal, after elephants and white rhinos. They emerge at dusk to graze on grass. While they rest near each other in the water, grazing is a solitary activity and hippos are not territorial on land.