African Hippos

Hippos – or Hippopotamuses meaning “river horse” in Greek – can live up to 40 years. “Hippos spend up to 16 hours a day submerged in rivers and lakes to keep their massive bodies (5,000 to 8,000 lbs, 9.5 to 14 ft)… Hippo calves weigh nearly 100 pounds (45 kilograms) at birth and can suckle on land or underwater by closing their ears and nostrils.

At sunset, hippopotamuses leave the water and travel overland to graze. They may travel 6 miles (10 kilometers) in a night, along single-file pathways, to consume some 80 pounds (35 kilograms) of grass. Considering their enormous size, a hippo’s food intake is relatively low,” (NatGeo).