Everything about the hippopotamus
Biology, behaviour, conservation, and comparisons — the most complete guide to the world’s third-largest land mammal.
The Essentials
All articles →The most surprising facts about hippos in one place.
🌿 What Do Hippos Eat?Diet, feeding patterns, and nightly grazing behaviour.
📍 Hippopotamus HabitatWhere hippos live, which countries, and why they need water.
🐣 Reproduction & CalvesGestation, birth, calf development, and maternal bonds.
👥 Social StructureHow hippo pods work — bulls, cows, and hierarchy.
🛡️ Hippo PredatorsWhat threatens hippos — and what almost nothing can.
🦕 Hippopotamus EvolutionFrom whale ancestor to Africa’s river giant.
⚠️ Deaths Caused by HipposWhy hippos kill ~500 people per year — and how to stay safe.
Latest Articles
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How Long Do Hippos Live?
How long do hippos live? Discover the lifespan of common and pygmy hippos, how long they live in the wild and in zoos, and the hippos that reached 65.
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Male vs Female Hippo: What’s the Difference?
Male and female hippos look remarkably similar. Both are enormous, both have massive mouths, and both can be seriously dangerous. So how do you tell them apart? For years, wildlife sources repeated the claim that male hippos can be up to 40% larger than females. But a study published in 2021 found something much more…
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Are Hippos Smart?
Hippos have one of the smallest brain-to-body ratios of any large mammal — yet research shows they can recognise individuals by voice alone. Here’s the honest picture.
The hippopotamus is Vulnerable — and declining
Approximately 115,000 to 130,000 remain in the wild. Habitat loss, poaching and climate change are accelerating the decline.