Hippopotamus: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Giants of Africa · day 2 of 7

Five facts

1. Hippo skin makes its own sunscreen. The secretion starts colourless, turns red-orange within minutes, then becomes brown.
2. A hippo can open its mouth 100-110 degrees wide, and its lower canines can grow up to 50 cm.
3. At night hippos leave the water to graze, travelling 3-5 km and eating around 40 kg of grass.
4. With its head half out of the water, a hippo can call so the sound carries through both air and water.
5. Hippos can sleep while submerged, surfacing to breathe without seeming to wake. Adults must surface at least every six minutes.

The quiz

1. What colour does the hippo's sunscreen turn within minutes?

• Red-orange (correct)
• Bright green
• Pure white
• Blue-black

Hippo skin makes its own sunscreen. The secretion starts colourless, turns red-orange within minutes, then becomes brown.

2. How wide can a hippo open its mouth?

• 30-40 degrees
• 60-70 degrees
• 100-110 degrees (correct)
• 180 degrees

A hippo can open its mouth 100-110 degrees wide, and its lower canines can grow up to 50 cm.

3. How much grass does a hippo eat per night?

• Around 4 kg
• Around 40 kg (correct)
• Around 400 kg
• About 1 kg

At night hippos leave the water to graze, travelling 3-5 km and eating around 40 kg of grass.

4. Where does a hippo's cry travel?

• Only underwater
• Only through the ground
• Only through air
• Through both water and air (correct)

With its head half out of the water, its call carries through both air and water.

5. How often must an adult hippo surface?

• Once an hour
• Once a day
• At least every six minutes (correct)
• Every two seconds

Hippos can sleep while submerged, surfacing to breathe without seeming to wake. Adults must surface at least every six minutes.

More about the Hippopotamus

Same week

All lessons

Nature documentaries