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Animal Age

How old does a Hippopotamus get? (age expectancy)

What is the maximal age a Hippopotamus reaches?

An adult Hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) usually gets as old as 54.5 years.

Hippopotamuss are around 235 days in the womb of their mother. When born, they weight 40.2 kg (88.63 lbs) and measure 1.3 cm (0′ 1″). As a member of the Hippopotamidae family (genus: Hippopotamus), a Hippopotamus caries out around 1 little ones per pregnancy, which happens around 1 times a year. Fully grown, they reach a bodylength of 1.55 meter (5′ 2″).

As a reference: Usually, humans get as old as 100 years, with the average being around 75 years. After being carried in the belly of their mother for 280 days (40 weeks), they grow to an average size of 1.65m (5′ 5″) and weight in at 62 kg (137 lbs), which is obviously highly individual.

A Hippopotamus gets as old as 54.5 years

The hippopotamus ( HIP-ə-POT-ə-məs; Hippopotamus amphibius), also called the common hippopotamus is a large, mostly herbivorous, semiaquatic mammal and ungulate 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). The name comes from the ancient Greek for “river horse” (ἱπποπόταμος). After the elephant and rhinoceros, both of which are found in Africa, the hippopotamus is the third-largest type of land mammal and the heaviest extant artiodactyl. Despite their physical resemblance to pigs and other terrestrial even-toed ungulates, the closest living relatives of the Hippopotamidae are cetaceans (whales, dolphins, porpoises, etc.) from which they diverged about 55 million years ago.Hippos are recognisable by their barrel-shaped torsos, wide-opening mouths revealing large canine tusks, nearly hairless bodies, columnar legs and large size; adults average 1,500 kg (3,310 lb) and 1,300 kg (2,870 lb) for males and females respectively. Despite its stocky shape and short legs, it is capable of running 30 km/h (19 mph) 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. During the day, they remain cool by staying in the water or mud; reproduction and childbirth both occur in water. They emerge at dusk to graze on grasses. While hippos rest near each other in the water, grazing is a solitary activity and hippos are not territorial on land. The hippo is among the most dangerous animals in the world as it is highly aggressive and unpredictable. They are threatened by habitat loss and poaching for their meat and ivory canine teeth.

Animals of the same family as a Hippopotamus

Not really brothers and sisters, but from the same biological family (Hippopotamidae):

Animals that reach the same age as Hippopotamus

With an average age of 54.5 years, Hippopotamus are in good companionship of the following animals:

Animals with the same number of babies Hippopotamus

The same number of babies at once (1) are born by:

Weighting as much as Hippopotamus

A fully grown Hippopotamus reaches around 1528.16 kg (3369 lbs). So do these animals: