In Photos: Hippopotamuses

A gallery celebrating the fascinating African mammal that is the hippopotamus.

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Passenger

A cormorant perches on a hippo's back. Hippos spend the majority of their time submerged in water, only coming onto land at night to graze.
Squeaky

A mother hippo nurtures its squealing baby hippo. Hippo vocalisations are incredibly complex, with some out of audible range.
Swimmer?

A fully submerged hippo. Hippos tend not to swim, but actually dive to the bottom and punt along.
Vegetarian

A hippo is uncharacteristically caught grazing in the sunshine. Hippos produce a natural sunblock out of their skin in order to protect their bare skin from the African sun.
Crocodile?

A submerged hippo leaves its raised nostrils protruding above water to breathe.
Hungry Hungry Hippo

A hungry hippo wades through a marsh of floating vegetation with its mouth open - exposing formidable tusks.
Lounging

A baby hippo and it's mother laze the day away in the water. The size difference is start, but the mother's rich milk will help the baby to grow incredibly quickly.