Description

The hippopotamus [hihp'uh paht'uh muhs] is the third largest animal that lives on land, after the elephant and rhinoceros. The river hippopotamus has a large, barrel-shaped body; short legs; and a huge head. It weighs from 2,500 to 3,000 pounds, stands about 5 feet tall, and ranges from 12 to 15 feet long, not including the tail, which measures about 22 inches long. [The pygmy hippopotamus, described separately, is considerably smaller.]

River hippopotamuses have thick, brownish-gray skin. They are hairless except for a few bristles on the head and tail. Special glands in the skin give off a clear, pink or red, oily fluid that keeps the skin from getting too dry.

The eyes, ears and nostrils of the river hippopotamus stick out from its head, allowing it to see, hear and breathe with most of its head underwater.

<img src="graphics/hippo-r2.gif" alt="a view of the hippo's tusks" align="left" hspace="0" width="200" height="156"