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hippopotamus (hîp´e-pòt´e-mes) noun
plural hippopotamuses or hippopotami (-mì´)
1. A large, chiefly aquatic African herbivorous mammal (Hippopotamus amphibius) having thick, dark, almost hairless skin, short legs with four toes, and a broad, wide-mouthed muzzle. Also called river horse.
2. The pygmy hippopotamus.
[Latin, from Greek hippopotamos : hippos, horse + potamos, river.]

hippopotamus

hippopotamus, river-dwelling MAMMAL (Hippopotamus amphibius) of tropical Africa, related to the pig (SWINE). The male stands about 5 ft (160 cm) at the shoulder and weighs about 5 tons (4,500 kg). The broad, short-legged body has a thick brown or gray hide, and the eyes are near the top of the head, so the animal can see when submerged. Hippopotamuses live in small herds, feeding on aquatic plants. Hunted for meat and hides, they are endangered.

Hippos are are hoofed vegetarians, feeding on grass, fallen fruit, and occasionally on cultivated crops such as sugar cane or corn during the night.

The tusk-like incisors and canines grow continuously. They are ivory, valued even more highly than an elephant's because they do not turn yellow with age. George Washington's false teeth were not made of wood, as is commonly believed, but were carved from the tusks of a hippopotamus.

Recent DNA evidence suggests that the hippopotamus is more closely related to cetaceans (whales and dolphins) than it is to any other artiodactyl (even-toed hoofed mammal).

One young is born at a time, after a gestation of around 230 days. Births usually occur in months of heavy rainfall, but can occur year-round. Young hippos will also bask on their mother's back. A group of hippos is called a "bloat."

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