In English, the plural is "hippopotamuses", but "hippopotami" is also used; "hippos" can be used as a short plural. Hippopotamuses
Hippopotamus
The common hippopotamus, or hippo, is a large, mostly herbivorous, semiaquatic mammal native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is one of only two extant species in the family Hippopotamidae, the other being the pygmy hippopotamus. The name comes from the ancient Greek for "river horse". After the …
How many hippos are in a group?
Hippopotamus are social animals and live in groups. The group generally has 10 to 30 members. But occasionally, groups of 200 are seen in the wild. What is a group of hippos called? It is termed as a “bloat”. There are other names also such as herd, pod, and school. What Is a Group of Hippos Called? What Is a Group of Hippos Called?
What is the root word of hippopotamus?
Hippopotamus comes from the greek word "hippo" meaning horse. The greeks called hippopotamus' water horses. Hope this answer was helpful Which group of animals move most earth per annum? hippopotamus What is River horse called? The hippopotamus is sometimes called the river horse. What is hippopotamus called in hindi?
What is a herd of hippopotamuses called?
According to www.wikipedia.com a herd of hippopotami is called a pod, herd, dale or bloat and that the plural of hippopotamus is variously: hippopatami, hippopotamus or simply hippopotamus.Personally, I like the term bloat simply because it sounds funny.
What is the scientific name for a baby hippo?
Hippos belong to a group called Cetartiodactyla, and to family Hippopotamidae, which includes two species; the common hippo and the pygmy hippo. What are baby hippopotamus called? calf
Is a group of hippos called a crash?
A herd of hippos is known as a crash, bloat, school, or pod.
What group are hippos in?
HippopotamusClass:MammaliaOrder:ArtiodactylaFamily:HippopotamidaeGenus:Hippopotamus13 more rows
What is a herd of wildebeest called?
A group of wildebeest is called a confusion. Wildebeest are native to Africa and every year they have a giant migration, where around two million of them join together to search for greener areas.
Why are a group of hippos called a bloat?
What is a group of hippos called? The term 'a bloat of hippopotamuses', coined in 1939, comes from their large, indeed bloated bellies; a male hippo weighs around 8,000lb and is covered in subcutaneous fat that helps him float.
What do you call a group of zebras?
A dazzle of zebras is the most common collective noun, named for the motion dazzle effect created by a group of running zebras. A group of zebras can also be called a herd of zebras or a zeal of zebras, but those aren't quite as much fun.
What is a group of porcupines called?
And then we have squirrels, which are very fittingly called a 'scurry'! Another quite wonderful collective noun is the one used to describe a group of porcupines – they're called a 'prickle'. Bats can either be called a 'colony', or, more fittingly a 'cloud'.
What is a group of sloths?
A Snuggle of Sloths As you can see, a “snuggle” of sloths was the resounding winner, which now makes this the most popular term for a group of sloths!
What is a group of koalas called?
There's no collective noun for a group of Koalas moving around together because Koalas don't move around in groups like dolphins or some birds.
What is a group of cheetahs called?
coalitionCollective Nouns ListAnimalCollective NounIn It's Written ContextCheetahscoalitiona coalition of cheetahsChickensflocka flock of chickensChickensbrooda brood of chickensChickenspeepa peep of chickens125 more rows
What is a bunch of pandas called?
A group of pandas is also called a cupboard of pandas or a bamboo of pandas, according to wildexplained.com.
What is a group of snakes called?
A group is called a snake den or pit. When someone refers to a snake den, the word den is being used as a collective noun. The collective noun highlights the fact that there's more than one snake in the group.
What is a group of hedgehogs called?
A group of hedgehogs is called an 'array'. 10. Hedgehogs haven't always been called hedgehogs, a long time ago they were called 'urchins'. 11. They have between 5000-7000 spines on their back which raise and lower if they feel threatened.
What are the groups of animals called?
Names for Groups of AnimalsAnts: a colony or an army. Apes: a shrewdness. ... Chickens: a brood or peep; Chicks: a clutch or chattering. Clams: a bed. ... Dolphins: a pod. Donkeys: a drove. ... Foxes: a skulk or leash. ... Hippopotami: a bloat or thunder. ... Manatees: an aggregation. ... Parrots: a pandemonium or company. ... Rhinoceroses: a crash.More items...•
What are the collective nouns for animals?
Bees: a swarm. Buffalo: a gang or obstinacy. Camels: a caravan. Cats: a clowder or glaring; Kittens: a litter or kindle; Wild cats: a destruction.
What is the genus of a pygmy hippopotamus?
Hippopotamus is the type genus of the family Hippopotamidae. The pygmy hippopotamus belongs to a different genus in Hippopotamidae, either Choeropsis or Hexaprotodon. Hippopotamidae are sometimes known as hippopotamids. Sometimes, the subfamily Hippopotaminae is used.
Where are hippopotamus found?
The species was common in Egypt 's Nile region during antiquity, but has since been extirpated. Pliny the Elder writes that, in his time, the best location in Egypt for capturing this animal was in the Saite nome; the animal could still be found along the Damietta branch after the Arab Conquest in 639. Reports of the slaughter of the last hippo in Natal Province were made at the end of the 19th century. Hippos are still found in the rivers and lakes of the northern Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya, north through to Ethiopia, Somalia and Sudan, west to The Gambia, and south to South Africa.
How long do hippopotamus stay in water?
This is an example of mutualism, in which the hippo benefits from the cleaning while the fish receive food. The hippos spend up to 16 hours a day in water as a way to stay cool. A hippopotamus and Nile crocodile side by side in Kruger National Park. Hippos coexist with a variety of large predators.
Why do hippos huddle together?
Studying the interaction of males and females has long been complicated because hippos are not sexually dimorphic; thus females and young males are almost indistinguishable in the field. Although hippos lie close to each other, they do not seem to form social bonds except between mothers and daughters, and they are not social animals. The reason they huddle close together is unknown. Hippos are territorial only in water, where a male presides over a small stretch of river, on average 250 m (270 yd) in length, and containing 10 females. The largest pods can contain over 100 hippos. Younger bachelors are allowed in a male's stretch, as long as they behave submissively toward the male. The territories of hippos exist to establish mating rights. Within the pods, the hippos tend to segregate by gender. Bachelors lounge near other bachelors, females with other females, and the male on his own. When hippos emerge from the water to graze, they do so individually.
How fast can a hippos run?
Despite its stocky shape and short legs, it is capable of running 30 km/h (19 mp h) over short distances. Hippos inhabit rivers, lakes, and mangrove swamps, where territorial males preside over a stretch of river and groups of five to thirty females and young hippos.
What is the third largest land mammal?
After the elephant and rhinoceros, the hippopotamus is the third- largest type of land mammal and the heaviest extant artiodactyl (in the traditional, non-cladistic sense of the term, not including cetaceans).
Where did hippos originate?
Hippos have long been popular zoo animals. The first record of hippos on captivity for display are dated to 3500 BC, in Hierakonpolis, Egypt. The first zoo hippo in modern history was Obaysch, who arrived at the London Zoo on 25 May 1850, where he attracted up to 10,000 visitors a day and inspired a popular song, the "Hippopotamus Polka". Hippos generally breed well in captivity; birth rates are lower than in the wild, but this is attributed to zoos wanting to limit births, since hippos are relatively expensive to maintain.
What Is A Group of Hippos called?
- Generally, it is called a “bloat”. But the congregation of 10 to 15 individuals is called “herds” or “pods”. Sometimes it is termed a “school” with a community of up to 40 individuals.
Social Structure of Hippopotamus
- Unlike many animals, hippopotami live in groups. These groups consist of several males and females. They stay close and tend to do everything together. Hippopotamuses are territorial creatures in the water. The groups take a long bath in the water holes for long hours together. A male hippo is dominant in each herd. He is the one in control. However, some other males stay i…
The History Behind The Naming of Hippo Herds
- In the earlier days, men had to hunt for a living. They knew about a lot of animals and their behavior. They had to know their collective nouns also. Because in the wild, it is a life or death situation. If a man doesn’t know the name for “a group of hippos”, he can’t warn his fellow hunters about the impending danger. So they had to keep all sorts of knowledge. But surprisingly, these …
Conclusion
- What do you call a group of hippos? It is called a bloat. Sometimes it is even named a school, a herd, or a pod. It depends on how big the group is. The collective names of the animal have been used in the English language for a long time. You might also be interested in: 1. Hippo Life Cycle | How Long Does A Hippo Live? 2. How much does a hippopot...
Overview
The hippopotamus , also called the hippo, common hippopotamus, or river hippopotamus, is a large semiaquatic mammal native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is one of only two extant species in the family Hippopotamidae, the other being the pygmy hippopotamus (Choeropsis liberiensis or Hexaprotodon liberiensis). Its name comes from the ancient Greek for "river horse" (ἱπποπόταμος).
Etymology
The Latin word hippopotamus is derived from the ancient Greek ἱπποπόταμος, hippopótamos, from ἵππος, híppos, 'horse', and ποταμός, potamós, 'river', meaning "horse of the river". In English, the plural is "hippopotamuses", but "hippopotami" is also used.
Taxonomy and origins
The modern hippopotamus and the pygmy hippopotamus are the only living members of the family Hippopotamidae. Some taxonomists group hippos and anthracotheres in the superfamily Anthracotheroidea. Hippopotamidae are classified along with other even-toed ungulates in the order Artiodactyla.
Five subspecies of hippos have been described based on morphological differe…
Characteristics and adaptations
The hippopotamus is a megaherbivore and is exceeded in size among land animals only by elephants and some rhinoceros species. The mean adult weight is around 1,480 kg (3,260 lb) for bulls and 1,365 kg (3,010 lb) for cows. Exceptionally large males have been recorded reaching 2,660 kg (5,860 lb). Male hippos appear to continue growing throughout their lives, while females reach …
Distribution and status
Hippopotamus amphibius was widespread in North Africa and Europe during the Eemian (130-115,000 years ago), with remains found as far north as England. Archaeological evidence exists of its presence in the Levant, dating to less than 3,000 years ago. The species was common in Egypt's Nile region during antiquity, but it has since been driven out. According to Pliny the Elder, in his time, the be…
Behaviour and ecology
Hippos differ from all other large land mammals as they are semiaquatic, spending their days in lakes and rivers. They require habitat with enough water to submerge themselves in and which has plenty of grass nearby. When bodies of water feature firm, smooth, sloping beaches, larger numbers of hippos may congregate. Male hippos may also be found in very small numbers in rapid wat…
Hippos and humans
The earliest evidence of human interaction with hippos comes from butchery cut marks on hippo bones found at the Bouri Formation and dated to around 160,000 years ago. Later rock paintings and engravings showing hippos being hunted have been found in the Tassili n'Ajjer Mountains of the central Sahara near Djanet, dated to 4,000–5,000 years ago The ancient Egyptians recognised the h…
See also
• Armley Hippo
• Owen and Mzee - hippo and tortoise who bonded