The Hippopotamus: Behavior and Communication
Hippopotamuses live in rivers and lakes throughout parts of Africa. There are two types of hippos: The Common or Nile Hippo and the Pygmy Hippo.
Common Hippos--Herds
Common hippos typically live in herds. The average herd is only ten to thirty members, however there are larger herds of 100 (or more) hippos. The middle of the herd's area is taken up by cows (females hippos) and their calves. Male hippos live on the outskirts of the herd in their own little refuges (territories). Female hippos are free to come and go from the group and the male's territories. A male on the other hand must behave to enter the herd or else he will be thrown out by a gang of angry females.
Herds are not lifelong memberships. A male hippo may choose to venture off to start a herd elsewhere. Also, females groups often change, with some cows leaving and others adding themselves to the area. Large herds tend to exist when other water sources in the area have dried out. Water is important to hippos as they spend all day submerged and come on land mainly to feed at night.
Pygmy Hippo--pairs
A pygmy hippo is much smaller than a common hippo. However, they still weigh a good four to five hundred pounds. By contrast, the common hippo can weigh 6600 pounds. Their species is small in number as well. The few that exist live in the west of Africa near Liberia.
The pygmy hippo leads a secluded life. They typically live alone or in pairs and tend to be very shy. Male pygmy hippos are much less territorial than their common hippo cousins.
Sounds/communication
Hippos are versatile in communication. They can make sounds like a horse neighing, which might be one reason for their name. Hippopotamus means "river horse". They also communicate by grunting, bellowing, and, of all things, mooing. A mooing sound is typically that of a female hippo looking for a mate.
A hippo's voice travels both above and below water. This happens, even though their mouths are above water as they bellow. The sound can travel through water because of a layer of fat around the hippo's larynx. Hippos like to lie in the water with only their faces above the surface. However, their larynx will be below the water's surface. The vibrations made by the larynx travel through the fat layer which allows the call to travel underwater with clarity.
Other:
Want to watch some hippo videos? Here's a list:
Sources:
Banks, Sally Our Wildlife World: Hippopotamus Grolier Limited Danbury, Connecticut 1990
"Hippo communication: hearing by jaw, talking by fat" Tomas Hroch Oct. 2007 acessed june 2011 http://eng.hrosi.org/?id=23
Published by Silense Smith
Silense Smith works at a photography studio in the Memphis, TN area as a lowly seasonal grunt. In her spare time she tinkers with her screenplay (of a fanciful and grand nature) which may one day surface as... View profile
- Positive Reinforcement Improves Kid's BehaviorPositive reinforcement not only improves your children's behavior, it reduces parental stress and make the home a more pleasant place to be.
- Health Problems Concerning the Male PenisWe often hear about female health problems. But male health problems are not discussed as frequently. For example, there are things about the penis and how it should be functioning that people do not know.
- Ebay Live 2008 Shows Stock Holders that Ebay's Seller Community Has Definite ImpactWith dwindling attendance at 2008's Ebay Live, Ebay execs spin blame on economy, others blame radical changes.
- Top 10 Male Actors of Our Time Those of us who were born in the 60's got to grow up watching today’s considered Golden Elite Male Actors of our time. If asked who the favorite 10 male actors are, there would be some of the world’s great...
- Improve Your Child's Behavior with Token RewardsA parent's attempts at fostering good behavior in her children can be helped along by the use of a positive reinforcement token and reward system. Easily implement this plan for quick behavior improvements.
- Baby Pygmy Hippo, Monifa, at the Taronga Zoo
- Top 10 Best Hippo Videos on YouTube!
- Endangered Species Lesson Plan on the Hippopotamus
- Pygmy Hippopotamus Facts
- Hippo Lesson Plans for Children
- Interesting Hippopotamus Facts
- Blue Whale Facts
3 Comments
Post a CommentPhilandering male hippos can get tossed out by a "gang of angry females"? This would make a great video to the song Hit The Road Jack. I always thought they liked the water so they'd be more boyant and lighter on their feet. Very interesting article. Still, when I do come back, I'd rather be a dog.
Very interesting to know!!!
Interesting info!! :)