Common Hippopotamus
Hippo PhotoHippos are very territorial and use their long canine teeth as weapons. These teeth contain ivory, which puts them at greater risk of poaching.
Common hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius)
TAXONOMY & NOMENCLATURE
(Boisserie 2008) (Boisserie et al 2005) (Harris et al. 2008) (Kingdon 1979) (Lihoreau et al 2006) (Meester & Setzer 1971)
(Stuenes 1989) (Wilson & Reeder 1992) ...
Common hippopotamus groups vary in size. In a large pool, a group could be as large as 60. Males are very territorial. Hippopotamus are very aggressive animals and easily enraged. They 'yawn' more and more as they get angrier, showing their big teeth.
The common hippopotamus is the second largest living land animal, only rivalled by the great Indian rhinoceros (the elephant is the largest). Its name means 'river horse' and the hippo spends most of its time in water.
Hippo Habits ...
"Mitochondrial DNA variation of the common hippopotamus: evidence for a recent population expansion.". Heredity 95: 206-215. doi:10.1038/sj.hdy.6800711.
^ Meijaard, Erik (ed.) (September 2005).
Common Hippopotamus ( Hippopotamus amphibius )
Cotton-top Tamarin ( Saguinus oedipus )
Cuban Hutia ( Capromys pilorides )
DeBrazza's Guenon ( Cercopithecus neglectus )
Degu ( Octodon degus )
Eastern Gray Squirrel ( Sciurus carolinensis ) ...
This family consists of two species, the common hippopotamus and the pygmy hippopotamus. The predominant difference between the two is their size. Both have a rounded body, broad head, and short legs.
More pig-like than its larger relative, the pygmy hippo's scientific status has been quite varied - when it was first described, many dismissed it as a stunted freak, a dwarf subspecies or a juvenile specimen of the common hippopotamus.
The pygmy hippopotamus breeds all round the year, and females gives birth to a single pygmy hippopotamus calf after a gestation period of around 6 months. Unlike the common hippopotamus that mates and gives birth in the water, ...
It is less aquatic than the common hippopotamus and is found in cool forests and in marshlands. Pygmy hippopotamuses almost always travel in pairs or groups of three immediate family members, rarely forming a herd.
The hippopotamus has been moved on to the so-called "Red List" drawn up by The World Conservation Union (IUCN) in May 2006. This signifies that the common hippopotamus is now in serious danger of extinction.
 See also: Hippo, Hippopotamus, Elephant, Pygmy Hippopotamus, Rhino
  
|
RSS
