Hippos are fascinating animals with unique mating and reproduction habits. Their strong bond with their offspring and their importance to their ecosystems make them an important species to protect. Let’s explore everything about Hippopotamus Reproduction and how hippos mate.
A male hippo is called a Bull, while the Female is a caw and the younglings are calves. Hippos tend to live in groups, which can be as large as 100. However, a pod tends to have about 30 hippos. These groups usually have one male leader who reaches that position by successfully fighting off other males.
Learn about hippos habitat here
Hippopotami are polygynous animals where one male, the group leader, breeds with all the females in his group. Breeding usually occurs during the dry season (between February and August), while births tend to happen in the wet season (from October and April). However, this is not strictly seasonal; it only tends to happen more during these times of the year. So, really hippo breeding can take place at any time of the year.
Hippos mating
Female hippos
Female hippos reach sexual maturity between 3 and 4 years old but usually don’t start mating until they are about 7 or 8 years.
After giving birth, a female hippopotamus won’t ovulate for about one year and a half. This means that a female generally only has one offspring every two years.
While Hippos are known to be highly aggressive and loners, the mothers are outstanding caregivers. They offer guidance, interaction, and learning so that their young can be strong and healthy as they mature. The females that don’t have young to care for will go through cycles where they can conceive.
Male Hippos
Male hippopotami reach maturity at about 5 years old but won’t successfully confront other males for the right of breeding until they are much older and bigger (about 13 or 15 years old).
Fights between hippos are very common during mating season, and a bull won’t be able to mate until it is the dominant male of the group. The dominant bull of the herd will be around females frequently during their cycles. It usually doesn’t last for more than threeout days at a time.
Check these fun facts about hippos
Hippopotamus Breeding – How do hippos mate?
The predominant bull searches for a mate roaming around a resting or grazing herd. He smells each caw’s ass, acting incredibly submissive towards the females as if he wants to avoid any kind of confrontation. The final purpose is to find a female in heat.
When he finally discovers an appropriate partner, the courtship begins. He teases the female and pushes her out of the herd, pursuing her into deeper waters until she snaps and tries to fight him off by clashing jaws.
The Male naturally forces the female into submission and mounts her. During copulation, the female keeps the head underwater, only lifting up to breathe. It’s unclear why this happens.
Hippos typically mate in water. The male will position himself behind the female and will ejaculate, while the female will ovulate, and fertilization takes place internally.
When copulating, the male hippo gives a wheezy honking, proclaiming that mating has occurred. This is an intense time for all of the herd as the aggressive nature intensifies at this time.
The male hippo will stay with the female for several days, keeping other males away from her.
How do Hippos give birth?
Pregnant hippos become more aggressive and protective of anyone encountering them. Before birth, they isolate themselves in shallow water or on land and don’t return to the herd a few weeks after birth.
The females give birth to their young in the water. Doing so helps the mother to conserve her energy. It also reduces the chances of the young becoming a victim of an animal on land.
The young are born after a gestation period of eight months, and maturity is only achieved at about 3 and a half years. Due to this substantial parental investment into each calf, normally, Hippopotami only mate every other year.
How many baby hippos are born?
Almost always, only one Hippo is born, but there are documented occurrences of the occasional set of twins. A female hippopotamus only has one calf every two years. A few weeks after birth, the mother and youngling join schools that provide some protection against lions, crocodiles, and hyenas, which are the main predators of baby hippos. Females are usually accompanied by 2 or 3 calves of different ages.
Similarly to other big mammals, hippos developed a K-type reproductive strategy. They take several years to develop and nurse only one big, well-developed calf instead of producing many undeveloped younglings many times a year.
How are Baby Hippos born?
Baby hippos are born weighing between 25 and 50 Kg and measuring about 130 cm long. They are born well-developed and know instinctively how to move in the water. They must get to the surface quickly to take a breath immediately after birth.
Since the mother Hippo often needs to be in water that is too deep for her young, you will see them riding on her back. The sunlight can dry her skin and cause sunburn if she stays in shallow water.
The mother will create milk for her young to suckle from for about the first six to eight months of life. They will suckle underwater by closing their ears and nostrils during the day, and on land, in the evening as the mother looks for her own food sources. If food is scarce, some females will nurse the young for the first year of life.
Mothers and calves have a strong relationship. One can see them frequently cuddling, cleaning, and other ways of showing each other affection. A big part of the attacks on humans are made by pregnant females or after birth trying to protect their calves. As Hippos live on strong social ambiance, males are usually protective over both calves and females of the herd and will also attack anything that poses a threat, humans included.
Hippos reproduction FAQ
Do Hippos lay eggs?
No, hippos do not lay eggs. They are mammals, and like all mammals, they give birth to live young. The female hippo will carry the developing fetus inside her uterus for around 8 months, which is the gestation period for hippos. At the end of this period, the female will give birth to one calf, which is usually born in the water. The calf will weigh around 25-50 kg (55-110 lbs) and will be able to swim and hold its breath immediately after birth.
How long is the hippos gestation period?
The gestation period for a hippopotamus is around 8 months, or around 240 days. This is relatively long for a mammal of their size and is similar to the gestation period of elephants. During this time, the female hippo will become increasingly aggressive as she approaches her due date, as she is preparing to protect her calf from potential threats.
How many babies do hippos have in a lifetime?
Hippos typically have a relatively low reproductive rate, with females usually giving birth to one calf at a time, although twins are not rare. A female hippo will usually give birth to 2-5 calves in her lifetime.
The intervals between births are long, usually 2-3 years, as females do not ovulate while they are nursing. Also, females are not ready to breed again until their calf is weaned, which can take up to 2-3 years.
Do hippos mate for life?
Hippos do not mate for life. In fact, they have a promiscuous mating system, which means that both males and females mate with multiple partners.
During the breeding season, male hippos will establish territories in the water and defend them against other males. These territories are used to attract females for mating. The females will visit the territories of different males and mate with multiple males during the breeding season.
Females are not territorial and will roam freely in search of males. The males will mate with multiple females in a season, and sometimes fights may break out between males over access to a female.
After the breeding season, males and females will separate and go their own ways until the next breeding season. So, hippos do not form monogamous or lifelong pair bonds.
It is worth noting that while hippos do not mate for life, they do have strong bonds with their offspring and will continue to care for them for several years.
When hippo mating season?
The mating season for hippos varies depending on the location and the population. In general, hippos breed year-round, but there are peak periods of activity. In most populations, the breeding season is during the rainy season when water levels are highest and food is abundant.
In East Africa, the breeding season is typically from March to June, while in southern Africa, it is from August to January. In West Africa, the breeding season is from June to October. Some populations also breed during the dry season, especially when there are permanent water sources.
During the breeding season, male hippos will establish territories in the water and defend them against other males. These territories are used to attract females for mating. The females will visit the territories of different males and mate with multiple males during the breeding season.
It’s worth noting that in captivity breeding season may vary, and it can happen all year long, it depends on the conditions and management of the facility.
How long are hippos pregnant?
The gestation period for a hippopotamus is around 8 months, or around 240 days. This is relatively long for a mammal of their size and is similar to the gestation period of elephants. During this time, the female hippo will carry the developing fetus inside her uterus and will not ovulate.
At the end of this period, the female will give birth to one calf, which is usually born in the water. The calf will weigh around 25-50 kg (55-110 lbs) and will be able to swim and hold its breath immediately after birth.
how often do hippos have babies?
Hippos typically have a relatively low reproductive rate, with females usually giving birth to one calf at a time, although twins are not rare. A female hippo will usually give birth to 2-5 calves in her lifetime. The intervals between births are long, usually 2-3 years, as females do not ovulate while they are nursing.
Also, females are not ready to breed again until their calf is weaned, which can take up to 2-3 years. The exact timing of the birth can also vary depending on the population and location, as well as the availability of food and water.
Do hippos mate with their offspring?
It is possible for a hippo to mate with its offspring but it is considered uncommon and not a typical behavior. Hippos have a promiscuous mating system, which means that both males and females mate with multiple partners. The females will visit the territories of different males and mate with multiple males during the breeding season. The males will also mate with multiple females during the breeding season.
However, it is not common for a hippo to mate with its offspring because of the strong social bonds that hippos form with their family. Hippos live in social groups called “schools” or “clans” that consist of one dominant male, several females, and their young. The dominant male will protect the females and the young of the group, and the females will protect their young together.
Also, incest avoidance mechanisms, in many animals, including mammals, have evolved to prevent inbreeding, which can result in genetic disorders and reduced fertility.
In conclusion, while it is possible for a hippo to mate with its offspring, it is not a typical behavior, as hippos have strong social bonds with their family and incest avoidance mechanisms to prevent inbreeding.
There is plenty about Hippo reproduction that we still need to learn. As we said above, they mate while in the water, but since that water is often dark and murky, the mating rituals can be hard to document. To make these studies even more complicated though, Hippos look very similar, so it can be hard to tell if they are males or females while in the water.
In 1987 the Toledo Zoo was successfully able to film a baby Hippo being born under the water. You may be able to find a video of this fantastic event online if you want to get more information about it.