The common hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) is one of Africa’s most iconic and formidable mammals, equally at home in water and on land. Found throughout sub-Saharan Africa, hippos inhabit rivers, lakes, and wetlands where they spend much of the day submerged to keep cool, emerging at dusk to graze on surrounding grasslands. Despite their bulky appearance, hippos are surprisingly agile both in water and on land, and their massive jaws and territorial behavior make them one of the continent’s most dangerous animals.
Adult hippos typically measure 3.0–5.0 meters (10–16 ft) in length and stand about 1.4–1.6 meters (4.6–5.2 ft) at the shoulder. They weigh between 1,300–3,200 kg (2,900–7,000 lb), with males generally larger than females. The gestation period averages around 8 months (approximately 240 days), after which a single calf weighing about 40–50 kg (90–110 lb) is born, often in shallow water.
Photo Tips:
Highly social, hippos live in pods dominated by a territorial bull, offering photographers dramatic opportunities—from yawning displays and surface interactions to evocative images of hippos emerging from misty rivers at sunrise and sunset.
