![]() Do not be fooled that a white rhino has to have a white color. Male hippos appear to continue growing throughout their lives females reach a maximum weight at around age 25.White and black rhinos are two species of rhino exclusively found in Africa. Older males can get much larger, reaching at least 3,200 kg (7,100 lb) and occasionally weighing 4,500 kg (9,900 lb). ![]() Females are smaller than their male counterparts, with average weights measuring between 1,300–1,500 kg (2,900–3,300 lb). The average weights for adult males ranged between 1,500–1,800 kg (3,300 –4 ,000 lb). Most estimates of the weight come from culling operations that were carried out in the 1960s. Because of their enormous size, hippopotamuses are difficult to weigh in the wild. Hippos are considered megafauna, but unlike all other African megafauna, hippos have adapted for a semi-aquatic life in freshwater lakes and rivers. Their specific gravity allows them to sink and walk or run along the bottom of a river. Hippopotamuses are among the largest living mammals only elephants and some rhinoceroses and whales are heavier. They are still threatened by habitat loss and poaching for their meat and ivory canine teeth. There are an estimated 125,000 to 150,000 hippos throughout Sub-Saharan Africa Zambia (40,000) and Tanzania (20,000–30,000) possess the largest populations. The hippopotamus is one of the most aggressive creatures in the world and is often regarded as one of the most dangerous animals in Africa. Hippos have been clocked at 30 km/h (19 mph) over short distances. Despite its stocky shape and short legs, it can easily outrun a human. ![]() The hippopotamus is one of the largest quadrupeds (four legged mammals). It is the third largest land mammal by weight (between 1½ and 3 tonnes), behind the white rhinoceros (1½ to 3½ tonnes) and the three species of elephant (3 to 9 tonnes). The hippopotamus is recognizable by its barrel-shaped torso, enormous mouth and teeth, nearly hairless body, stubby legs and tremendous size. ![]() While hippopotamuses rest near each other in the water, grazing is a solitary activity and hippos are not territorial on land. During the day they remain cool by staying in the water or mud reproduction and childbirth both occur in water. The hippopotamus is semi-aquatic, inhabiting rivers, lakes and mangrove swamps where territorial bulls preside over a stretch of river and groups of 5 to 30 females and young. The hippopotamus ( Hippopotamus amphibius), or hippo, from the ancient Greek for "river horse" (ἱπποπόταμος), is a large, mostly herbivorous mammal in sub-Saharan Africa, and one of only two extant species in the family Hippopotamidae (the other is the Pygmy Hippopotamus.) After the elephant and rhinoceros, the hippopotamus is the third largest land mammal and the heaviest extant artiodactyl. Black Rhinoceros also do not have a distinguishing shoulder hump like the White Rhinoceros. The Black Rhinoceros can also be recognized from the White Rhinoceros by its smaller skull and ears. White Rhinoceros have square lips used for eating grass. The Black Rhino is much smaller than the White Rhino, and has a long, pointed, and prehensile upper lip, which it uses to grasp leaves and twigs when feeding. Skin color depends more on local soil conditions and the rhinoceros' wallowing behavior than anything else, so many black rhinos are typically not truly black in color. These horns are used for defense, intimidation, and digging up roots and breaking branches during feeding. Sometimes, a third smaller horn may develop. The longest known horn measured nearly 5 feet in length. Two horns on the skull are made of keratin with the larger front horn typically 50 cm long, exceptionally up to 140 cm. An adult weighs from 800 to 1364 kg (1,760 to 3,000 lb), but sometimes grows up to 1818 kg (4,000 lb), The females are smaller than the males. An adult Black Rhinoceros stands 140–170 cm (57.9–63 inches) high at the shoulder and is 3.3-3.6 m (10.8–11.8 feet) in length.
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