The Hippopotamus
Emma Shepherd
CLASSIFICATION ORDER:
Kingdom-Animalia
Phylum- Choradata
Sub Phylum-vertabrata
Class-Mammalia
Order-Artiodactyla
Family-Hippopotamidae
Genus-Hippopotomus
Species-Hippopotamus amphibious
http://bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio203/s2007/frisch_lisa/phylogenetic_tree.htm
EVOLUTIONARY RELATIONSHIPS:
HABITAT:
Hippos live in lakes and large rivers. They live in shallow bodies of water because they like it to be easy to come up and get air. A clean body of water with a smooth bottom is ideal for hippos because if there are obstacles on the bottom, such as rocks, it can slow down or maybe injure the hippo. The hippopotamus amphibious can be found in east Africa south of the Sahara, in countries such as Kenya and Tanzania.
TYPE OF DIET:
Hippos are herbivores which is surprising based on their large size. Their diet is made up of mostly grasses and fallen fruits. They have dull teeth so, short and cropped patches of vegetation are ideal for easy chewing. They may walk for miles to find the right kind of grass to feed on, or they will eat fallen fruits. On very rare occasions hippos will eat insects, this is usually only during a drought when there is no good vegetation for them to feed on.
SOCIAL INTERACTIONS:
Hippos often live in groups of 30+ animals with both full grown and young hippos. Usually there is a few dominant males in each group. These living groups can easily change. Hippos do not establish a life long adult partner. When mother hippos give birth they stay with their young for some time and carry their young on their back so it is easy to for the baby to get air.
http://animals.pawnation.com/many-hippos-live-together-2909.html
MOVEMENTS:
Hippos do not actually swim. If they would like to emerge from the water they walk along the bottom until they reach shallow water. Once they are out of the water they can walk, jog, and trot. Some hippos can even move up to speeds of 15 miles per hour with spurts up to 30 miles an hour.
http://indianapublicmedia.org/amomentofscience/do-hippos-swim/
SIZE AND WEIGHT, INTERESTING FACTS AND PREDATORS:
-They can range from 1 1/2 tons to 3 tons, 13 feet long, 5 feet tall
-Third largest animal in the world
-Lifespan of 50 years
-spend most of their day in the water lying on their stomachs
-Hippos largest predators are humans using their teeth, hides, and meat
-Other predators include lions and crocodiles
-They defend themselves by using their massive size and biting their predators. Or they will use their sharp tusks and spear like weapons