Hippopotamus comes from a Greek word meaning water or river horse. The irony is that hippos are not related to horses at all. The closest living relatives to hippos maybe pigs, whales, and/or dolphins. There are two species of hippopotamus: the river, or common, hippo and the much smaller pygmy hippo. The hippo is the heaviest land mammal after the elephant.
Water Hippos are found living in slow-moving rivers and lakes in Africa. While most of their body is underwater, hippos can hear, see, and breathe! Hippos also have a set of built-in goggles: a clear membrane that covers their eyes for protection while still allowing them to see when they are underwater. The most interesting fact is that hippos can't swim! Nor can they float! Their bodies are far to dense to float, so they move around by pushing off from the bottom of the river or simply walking along the riverbed in a slow-motion gallop.
Skin Hippos have unique skin that needs to be kept wet for a good part of the day. Staying out of the water for too long can lead to dehydration, so hippos try to stay in the water during the day. Hippos secrete a thick, red substance from their pores known as blood sweat because it looks like the animal is sweating blood. The blood sweat creates a layer of mucous that protects hippo skin from sunburn and keeps it moist.
Water Hippos are found living in slow-moving rivers and lakes in Africa. While most of their body is underwater, hippos can hear, see, and breathe! Hippos also have a set of built-in goggles: a clear membrane that covers their eyes for protection while still allowing them to see when they are underwater. The most interesting fact is that hippos can't swim! Nor can they float! Their bodies are far to dense to float, so they move around by pushing off from the bottom of the river or simply walking along the riverbed in a slow-motion gallop.
Skin Hippos have unique skin that needs to be kept wet for a good part of the day. Staying out of the water for too long can lead to dehydration, so hippos try to stay in the water during the day. Hippos secrete a thick, red substance from their pores known as blood sweat because it looks like the animal is sweating blood. The blood sweat creates a layer of mucous that protects hippo skin from sunburn and keeps it moist.