Hippopotamus on Zambezi River, Victoria Falls town, Zimbabwe, in southern Africa.

Hippopotamus on the Zambezi River, Victoria Falls town, Zimbabwe, in southern Africa. See diverse wildlife from a sunset dinner cruise on the Zambezi River through mostly Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park of Zambia, on the Zambezi Breeze boat run from the Pure Africa Waterfront, at Victoria Falls town, in Zimbabwe. The hippopotamus or hippo is a large semiaquatic mammal native to sub-Saharan Africa. Its name comes from the ancient Greek for "river horse." After elephants and rhinoceroses, the hippopotamus is the next largest land mammal. Despite their physical resemblance to pigs and other terrestrial even-toed ungulates, the closest living relatives of the hippopotamids are cetaceans (whales, dolphins, porpoises, etc.), from which they diverged about 55 million years ago. Hippos are recognisable for their barrel-shaped torsos, wide-opening mouths with large canine tusks, nearly hairless bodies, pillar-like legs, and large size: adults average 1,500 kg (3,300 lb) for bulls (males) and 1,300 kg (2,900 lb) for cows (females). A hippo can match the speed of a human on land, but only for short distances. They are much more dangerous in water. Hippos inhabit rivers, lakes, and mangrove swamps. Territorial bulls each preside over a stretch of water and a group of five to thirty cows and calves. Mating and birth both occur in the water. During the day, hippos remain cool by staying in water or mud, emerging at dusk to graze on grasses. While hippos rest near each other in the water, grazing is a solitary activity and hippos typically do not display territorial behaviour on land. Hippos are among the world's most dangerous animals due unpredictable aggression. They are threatened by habitat loss and poaching for their meat and ivory (canine teeth). // The UNESCO World Heritage List honors the transnational area "Mosi-oa-Tunya / Victoria Falls" of Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Add to Cart Add to Lightbox Download

Filename: 24.02AFR-5537.jpg
Copyright: © Tom Dempsey / PhotoSeek.com
Image Size: 5472x3648 / 6.7MB; http://www.photoseek.com/; Animalia Mammalia PhotoBest animal mammals nature river vertebrate water wildlife
Contained in galleries: Victoria Falls, ZIMBABWE+ZAMBIA, 2024 Feb AFRICA: TANZANIA, KENYA, VICTORIA FALLS, AFRICA favorites, Highlights 2024

Hippopotamus on the Zambezi River, Victoria Falls town, Zimbabwe, in southern Africa. See diverse wildlife from a sunset dinner cruise on the Zambezi River through mostly Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park of Zambia, on the Zambezi Breeze boat run from the Pure Africa Waterfront, at Victoria Falls town, in Zimbabwe. The hippopotamus or hippo is a large semiaquatic mammal native to sub-Saharan Africa. Its name comes from the ancient Greek for "river horse." After elephants and rhinoceroses, the hippopotamus is the next largest land mammal. Despite their physical resemblance to pigs and other terrestrial even-toed ungulates, the closest living relatives of the hippopotamids are cetaceans (whales, dolphins, porpoises, etc.), from which they diverged about 55 million years ago. Hippos are recognisable for their barrel-shaped torsos, wide-opening mouths with large canine tusks, nearly hairless bodies, pillar-like legs, and large size: adults average 1,500 kg (3,300 lb) for bulls (males) and 1,300 kg (2,900 lb) for cows (females). A hippo can match the speed of a human on land, but only for short distances. They are much more dangerous in water. Hippos inhabit rivers, lakes, and mangrove swamps. Territorial bulls each preside over a stretch of water and a group of five to thirty cows and calves. Mating and birth both occur in the water. During the day, hippos remain cool by staying in water or mud, emerging at dusk to graze on grasses. While hippos rest near each other in the water, grazing is a solitary activity and hippos typically do not display territorial behaviour on land. Hippos are among the world's most dangerous animals due unpredictable aggression. They are threatened by habitat loss and poaching for their meat and ivory (canine teeth). // The UNESCO World Heritage List honors the transnational area "Mosi-oa-Tunya / Victoria Falls" of Zambia and Zimbabwe.