Hazel The Hippo-5 inch

Hippos, or hippopotamuses, are fascinating creatures. They’re native to sub-Saharan Africa and are known for their massive size, aggressive nature, and semi-aquatic lifestyle. Despite their hefty, somewhat awkward appearance, hippos are actually quite agile in water, where they spend much of their day to keep cool. They don’t actually swim but instead push off the bottom and glide, which is pretty impressive given their weight, often over 3,000 pounds.

Their wide mouths and huge teeth are iconic, and while they mostly graze on grasses, hippos are highly territorial and can be very dangerous if threatened. Their powerful jaws can snap a crocodile in half! Surprisingly, hippos are more closely related to whales and dolphins than other large land mammals. This connection is thought to date back about 55 million years.

One interesting fact is that hippos secrete a natural “sunscreen” from their skin, which has a reddish color and helps protect them from infections and sunburn. Their population is declining due to habitat loss and poaching for ivory-like teeth, but they remain a vital part of African ecosystems.