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Hippopotamus
Hippopotamus amphibius
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HABITAT
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rivers,
swamps and protected areas |
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DIET
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Herbivore;
grasses |
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LIFE SPAN
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50
years |
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OTHER FACTS
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Amazingly agile for their bulk, hippos are good climbers and will travel
up a steep bank to graze. They usually graze for up to five hours
a night, covering one or two miles in a looping pattern.
Hippos move easly in the water, either swimming by kicking their hind legs
or walking on the bottom. By closing its small ears and nostrils
an adult hippo can stay under water for as long as six minutes.
The
hippopotamus is the third-largest living land mamal, after the elephant
and white rhino and can weigh up to 3 1/2 tons.
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