only in Africa, hippos are born, nature has created the most favorable conditions for their existence.No other continent can boast such large animals, conducting the bulk of the life in the water.
Why in Russian hippopotamus - a hippopotamus?
names of animals - Hippopotamus amphibius - was given to Carl Linnaeus.Hippo translated from the Greek as a river horse, and amphibius - amphibious - living in two environments on earth (which is powered), and in the water, where the hippo is born and spends most of the day.
Behemoth called in post-Soviet countries.In the XVIII century in Russia became known as the hippopotamus.And already from the Russian language, it migrated to the Ukrainian, Belarusian, and all the other languages of the USSR.The word "hippopotamus" comes from the Bible, where this name appears one of the two huge monsters (first Leviathan), created by God as the personification of carnal desires.(It is in this context the word "behemoth" is used in all other languages.)
comparably sized hippo hippopotamus
ordinary (Hippopotamus amphibius) is considered one of the largest animals in the world, in the first place is the elephant in the second rhino.Habitat past - the same lowland continent where born hippopotamus.Weight is a big old male on average four tons.Females weigh up to ten years of age as much as the males.And then the males put on weight faster, although they both grow forever.
In Europe, the largest animal is considered the polar bear: the biggest (ever measured) was male weighing 1003 kg, while the Arctic ice usually go no heavier than a half-ton beasts.
climatic conditions and rich forage base areas where hippos are born, grow and allow them to gain such a huge weight.Height males - just 1.65 meters, but the length - 3 m, on average, were seen instances of up to 5.5 meters.
life in the herd
Although behemoth known as the animal's behavior and way of life relatively poorly studied.It prevents the fact that the animals spend the daylight hours in the water.Life hippo is subject to a strict routine: the day he sleeps or slumbers, periodically surfacing for inhalation reflex (2-10 minutes), night out on the waterfront for eating grass and leaves.
to feed the hippos walk on the trails, and the direction may not change for years.They trample down to a depth of half a meter gauge.In areas where herds of hippos live for a long time, deep wide trails laid even in stony shores.
Females live in a harem, dominated by only one adult male.The number of herds comes to 20-30 individuals.For possession of harem males fight.The winner goes all the multitude of "economy".Females (in the few observations) do not change the harem.It keeps a herd of compact enough females without children outside, inside - with young mothers.Get through the outer fence is impossible even dominant males.Such protection is needed because small animals can be easily crushed by clumsy male (or eaten by a stranger).
Where hippos are born?
females are ready to mate within 7 years after the birth of males - from 6 to 14 years.(For reference, it is considered that in the wild hippos live up to forty years in a zoo - far longer known examples sixties centenarians.)
the Study of the birth of hippos in the wild is extremely low.According to observations of the people of Africa, hippos are born under water more frequently than on land.
female before birth is normally removed from the herd, choosing a small pond where born hippopotamus.Tiny typically weighs an average of from 40 to 50 kg, the light appears always one.The mother should just push it to the surface, otherwise it may choke.
At birth on the banks of the female prepares a "nest" densely utaptyvaya grass and bushes.Within five minutes after the birth, he can easily move on land.
What are they - the little Hippo?
kids in length - 1 m height at the shoulders - up to 60 cm. The weight can be from 27 to 50 kg.Since hippos are born underwater, the mother must often push the newborn out of the water: it can all hold their breath for 40 seconds.
In the first ten days after the birth of a nursing female is not close to the herd, protecting the baby.It may even do not have a few days, being near to the calf until he learns to independently go to the beach.Babe sucks her both on land and in the water, holding his ears and closing his nostrils.
Little hippo with his mother is up to 18 months, it is so much going on in her lactation.
Hippos are born under water
Photos and video of the life of wild animals shot by numerous tourists and visitors to the zoo is constantly laid on the Internet.This documentary evidence that hippos are born both in water and on land.The process of giving birth does not seem painful, rather surprised by its spontaneity and transience.
The London Zoo hippo first brought in 1880.Now, almost every large zoo boasts not only the presence of hippos, but also the appearance of their offspring.In Russia, the first hippopotamus born at the zoo St Petersburg in 1880.And during the Great Patriotic War in Moscow Zoo was born a healthy baby.
Modern zoos where hippos are born underwater, have a roomy water.These animals attracted large number of visitors, stand for hours in front of the aviary.
Interesting points
In the middle of the last century, scientists have seriously studied the question of domestication hippopotamus.This assumption is based on the fact that Africans eat meat hippos very long time.Nutrition, delicate flavor and a lot of meat (up to 500 kg of individuals, weighing two tons) make it possible to try to solve the problem of hunger in the continent.
Hippo, according to modern scholars, is very close to their physiological data to the cetaceans (and not to pigs as previously thought): whales and hippos live, share sounds give birth to cubs in the water.For those and others do not have sebaceous glands and hair, in male testes are inside the body.
In nature, hippos have very few enemies: even with the three lions animals are relatively easy to straighten out.The three-meter crocodile hippo bites half.And if careless alligator violates calm herd, he is not exactly big trouble.
