Who is stronger hippopotamus or crocodile. The strongest bites in the animal kingdom

WHO IS STRONGER WHO?

Many children often ask: "Who is stronger - a crocodile or a hippopotamus, an elephant or a lion?" We asked biologist Vadim Maksimovich Gudkov to answer this and other questions. Here's what he told us.

Hippos have few enemies, only a lion sometimes dares to attack an adult beast. But the cubs of these thick-skinned often become the prey of lions, leopards, hyena dogs.

Crocodiles do not even attack young hippos. And if the hippopotamus did not die in childhood from a lion or a pack of hyena dogs, or if an old, clumsy hippopotamus did not accidentally trample it, then it usually lives for a long time - up to 50 years. It happens, however, that adult hippos also die. Once, having met with a rhinoceros, the hippopotamus did not want to give way to him, and during the fight they killed each other. It happens that adult males during a fight among themselves kill the weaker one. But this rarely happens.

The African elephant is the strongest land animal. The lion does not attack the adult elephant, and the baby elephant is under the reliable protection of the elephant. The white rhinoceros - the second largest animal in Africa - always gives way to the elephant.

Indian elephant cubs are very rarely attacked by tigers. A case is described when the inhabitants of an Indian village heard the crackling of branches and the trumpet voice of an elephant interrupted by the ferocious roar of a tiger all night long. In the morning, following the tracks, they were able to restore the picture of the battle. The tiger attacked the baby elephant and killed him. When the elephant rushed to the rescue, the predator jumped on her back. With a roar, the elephant rushed through the forest thicket, trying to throw off the tiger, but died in this struggle. People found the corpses of an elephant calf and a badly tormented female elephant. Since the tiger did not touch the killed elephant, people decided that the predator was badly injured and he had no time for food. But the animal could not be found. Whether he survived this battle is unknown.

From time to time there are reports in the press that mass shootings of elephants are carried out in some national parks of Africa, but it is known that they are guarded there. What happened?

We asked Academician V. E. Sokolov, who has visited African national parks more than once, to answer this question.

Vladimir Evgenievich, what is especially characteristic of African animals?

First of all, their abundance. Until now, huge herds of ungulates have been preserved there - zebras, antelopes, gazelles; African fauna is characterized by large animals. The African elephant - the largest animal of modern land and the giraffe - the tallest - live here. There are rhinos, hippos, the largest of the primates - gorillas, giant ostriches. And many of them are still numerous.

A particularly impressive sight is the migration of animals. During the period of drought, elephants, antelopes, gazelles move across the territory where there is water and green fodder. For example, animals living in the vastness of the Serengeti Plain, during a period of drought, go in huge herds to Lake Victoria or move to the Ngoro-Ngoro crater.

Have you ever seen such migrations?

I remember how I moved from the area of ​​the Ngoro Ngoro crater to the Serengeti and found myself in a huge concentration of wildebeest. Only in a circle of about 70 meters from the car there were none, and further, right up to the horizon, thousands and thousands of animals stood, grazed, played. An unforgettable sight! I must say that the wildebeest in the Serengeti are the most numerous, there are about 800 thousand of them. Large clusters form zebras, in the Serengeti there are about half a million of them, and Thompson's gazelles are more than 600 thousand. Large concentrations of birds. The relatively small Lake Nakuru, near the city of Nairobi, Kenya, is home to hundreds of thousands of flamingos.

What attracts attention is that animals are not shy, this is especially important for scientists. You can watch for hours in close proximity the behavior of antelopes, gazelles or cautious predators such as cheetahs and lions. By car you follow them for hours and they don't pay attention to you.

Vladimir Evgenievich, everything you are talking about is probably not typical for all of Africa?

Of course, not the entire continent is suitable for the habitat of wild animals. Approximately 40 percent of Africa is occupied by deserts. The fauna there, in particular in the Sahara Desert, is very poor. And Western and Central Africa is occupied mainly by dense tropical forests, where living conditions are not so favorable for large herds of large animals. In addition, it is not so easy to see them here. Another thing, the savannas of East Africa. These are extraordinarily productive steppes with clumps of trees or individual trees, sometimes shrubs. The plant mass is so plentiful that it is able to feed a huge number of herbivores, and those, in turn, serve as food for numerous predators.

Are massive concentrations of wild animals protected everywhere?

Currently, large herds of ungulates, elephants are preserved only in national parks or on the territories of large farms. For example, every farmer, under the laws of Kenya, has the right to destroy all wild animals that live on his farm. However, he is not the owner of these animals, he does not have the right to use the meat, skins of the extracted animals. He can only protect his crop.

I was able to visit the El-Karama farm near Mount Kenya. Here, in a relatively small area - 12,000 acres - about 2,000 heads of cattle graze. In addition, 420 giraffes live here. But they do not compete with livestock in the use of forage, because they feed on the leaves and shoots of acacias high above the ground, where they are not reached by cattle. It is clearly visible in the savannah: all acacias are "trimmed" at the height of giraffes.

Are national parks likely to have problems with animal conservation?

Many national parks are now overpopulated with animals. The food base no longer corresponds to the high number of animals, so the question arises of artificial regulation of their numbers. Africa's largest national park, Tsavo, is located in Kenya and is the second largest in the world in terms of area. This park was established mainly for the protection of elephants, of which there are a lot. The forage base for them is already insufficient. Most of the baobabs have even been killed by elephants. These trees have soft wood, elephants destroy the tree with tusks and eat it. However, it is not easy to control the number of elephants. You can shoot them, but then the elephants will become cautious, will not let people near them and will no longer be accessible to tourists.

The abundance of elephants has a detrimental effect on the vegetation of national parks, so in some they are shot by hundreds, or even thousands. This measure is forced. After all, elephants have nowhere to settle - around the earth, mastered by man. So, in critical situations, a person takes on the role of a regulator of the number of certain species of wild animals. Apparently, in the situation that has arisen in some national parks in Africa, this measure is inevitable.

Is it not dangerous to travel through the national park if there are many such large animals around?

You can only enter the park by car. Walking is not allowed, it is also forbidden to get out of the car. The announcements at the entrance to the park indicate that you enter the park at your own risk. The administration is not responsible for your safety. But this means that animals get used to the fact that cars and people will not harm them, so they are not afraid of them at all.

The nature of Africa is a value of world importance. And fortunately, many now understand this. One can hope that the nature and fauna of this continent will be preserved.

PROFESSION - LOVE FOR NATURE

Making a truly interesting film about the life of animals is a huge job. These "actors" are reluctant to pose for cameras.

As a rule, they do not seek meetings with a person, they hide, hide. The profession of a film director or naturalist cinematographer is fraught with many difficulties. Often you have to feed mosquitoes somewhere in a swamp or in the tundra, go for many days without hot water and other amenities of civilization, and freeze high in the mountains or near ice floes where walruses live ... Communication with animals, with nature pays for all the inconveniences expeditionary life.

FILMS OF KONSTANTIN GRIGORIEV

A wonderful Bulgarian film director, cameraman and screenwriter Konstantin Grigoriev has been making films for over 40 years. He created more than 60 documentaries and popular science films, half of which tells about the nature of Bulgaria, wild animals that inhabit this sunny land.

Films by Konstantin Grigoriev have been awarded many times at various international film festivals. During the arrival of Grigoriev in Moscow, we managed to talk with him.

Tell me, Konstantin, why did you start making films about nature, wild animals? What prompted you to do this?

Today we will choose the strongest animal in the world. Naturally, you will say: “What is there to think about? Elephant!". Of course, if you follow a simple logic: “He who weighs more is stronger,” then, without a doubt, the elephant has no competitors. Well, maybe,

But we will argue as follows: strength is manifested not only in the mass of the body, but also in the ability to lift and carry a load that exceeds it. Here, based on this criterion, our top is built: "The 10 most powerful animals in the world." So let's get started.

10. Polar bear

It is the largest of the land mammals. The weight of such a predator is about 500 kg, and the strength is simply amazing: it can pull a carcass weighing half a ton onto the ice, and the bear kills a huge seal with one blow of its paw.

9. Orca

In the northern latitudes, there is another strong man, who is not unreasonably called the "killer whale". In the water, the killer whale swims at speeds up to 55 km / h, it will not even fight off this strong predator. And, bursting into a flock of seals, she easily bites 5-6 individuals.

Oxen have long been used by man as draft animals. These huge ones have always been a measure of strength. One ox can handle a weight of about 900 kg, which is one and a half times its own.

An elephant lifts a load of 9 tons. By the way, a five-ton male “mastered” so much. If you think in the above given parameters, this is about 1.7 times the elephant's own weight. Worthy! Moreover, in terms of weight, this is an absolute record in wildlife.

Tigers are very strong. They weigh up to 270 kg and can lift twice that weight with their teeth.

5 African Crowned Eagle

In the feathered family, the most powerful animal is the crowned eagle, which can carry in flight a load four times its own weight.

4 Gorilla

Gorillas are by no means monkeys. These are serious, intimidating-looking primates with remarkable strength.

There is a known case when an adult gorilla, saving her cub who fell from a tree from a lion attacking him, broke the last neck, simply grabbing him by the withers. The lion died on the spot.

The gorilla is a worthy competitor in the fight for the title of "The Strongest Animal in the World". She can lift ten times her weight.

3. Leaf cutter ant

And, looking at an ant, it is difficult to imagine that he is a strong man. Just think, some crumb is fussily rushing about under your feet! But take a closer look, and you will definitely see how this insect drags a load that is 50 times heavier than its weight! Imagine that one leaf-cutting ant, for example, can carry up to 50 of its fellows. Can you do that? That's it!

2 Rhino Beetle

Another contender for the title of "The Strongest Animal in the World" lives in the tropics. This is a rhinoceros beetle that can lift 850 times its own weight. It is obvious that these insects, despite their size, are strong men.

1. Armored Mite

And now, to the sound of fanfare, the winner stands before us. Meet the most powerful animal in the world - the shell mite! This, of course, is not an elephant or a polar bear, but he has many times more strength than the named giant representatives of the animal world.

The tick easily lifts and carries a weight 1180 times heavier than its own! And imagine for a moment a tick the size of at least a cat... It's good that it's so small! Hooray for the winner!

Ecology

Below is a list of ten animals with the most powerful bite force in the animal kingdom. There are animals that should have also been on this list, but they are not here due to the lack of research into the strength of their bite due to the problematic or high cost of this event.

The notable exception is the great white shark, however, there are only theoretical data. The Tasmanian devil seems to have the most powerful bite in relation to its body size (about 14 atmospheres).

10. Leo

Bite force - 41 atmospheres

An unexpected position for the "king of the jungle" (although he never lived in the jungle). Lions are the only social cats in the world. They are so cooperative when hunting that this may be one of the reasons why they evolved to have a bite force comparable to that of a panther or other similar cat.

Another reason may be hunting habits, since the lion strangles its prey by biting its trachea, so there is no need for a strong bite. Lions, as a rule, hunt at any time of the day, but often go for large prey at night. They also need water, so they drink daily, but they can live for about five days without it.

9. Tiger

Bite force - 71 atmospheres

The largest species of the cat family, the tiger is a solitary hunter. The length of his body can reach 3.5 meters, and he can weigh up to 388 kg. He hunts and pursues his prey at night. Like lions, they tend to bite their prey on the throat to cut off the flow of air and blood to the animal's head.

Their bite is very powerful, it is almost twice as strong as a lion's bite. There are fewer tigers in the wild than in captivity. They usually avoid people, however, attacks on people and livestock have been reported around the world.

8 Spotted Hyena

Bite force - 75 atmospheres

Most sources claim that the bite force of a hyena is 75 atmospheres, however, Wikipedia says a higher figure, but there are no other sources confirming the information in the online encyclopedia. Speaking about the fact that the hyena has one of the most powerful bites in the animal kingdom, it should be noted that as a result of its attack, even the bones of a giraffe are crushed.

The reason for this bite force is that it needs to get at least some food after lions and other large predators leave the remains of their prey.

Even though they look like dogs, hyenas are actually more closely related to cats. It has been discovered that a hyena can kill a dog with a single bite to the neck. Contrary to popular belief, hyenas hunt, and ironically, lions often steal their food. Like lions, they are very social and cooperative animals.

7 Grizzly Bear

Bite force - 81 atmospheres

This North American subspecies of the brown bear is known for its incredible size and aggression. Despite their large size, grizzlies can reach speeds of up to 56 km/h. They feed mainly on berries and nuts, but also hunt. In Yellowstone National Park, they were seen and filmed while hunting game.

Grizzlies are considered more aggressive compared to other bears. It is believed that because of their size, these bears cannot climb trees, which is why they have developed this defense mechanism in order to get their own food. This is likely the same evolutionary path that gave the bear its powerful jaws that help it defend itself against wolves and other intruders.

They can weigh from 270 to 450 kg. They can be dangerous to humans if startled, or if they are with cubs, they mostly rarely, if ever, prey on humans.

6 Gorilla

Bite force - 88 atmospheres

Some people may be surprised to read this given the vegetarian nature of these creatures. However, gorillas are formidable "inhabitants" of this list. Their jaws are primarily adapted to chewing tough plants like bamboo, which has given them incredibly strong jaws and neck muscles.

The gorilla has traditionally been viewed as a big scary monster, but in recent years its image has become "softer". They are our closest relatives after chimpanzees, and their numbers in the wild are rapidly declining, with about 700 mountain gorillas now left alive. Gorillas can climb trees but usually live on the ground in communities of up to 30 individuals led by a dominant male. Gorillas, as a rule, are "gentle" creatures and do not pose any danger to humans.

5. Hippo

Bite force - 124 atmospheres

This is one of the most powerful herbivores. The hippo belongs to the category of the most dangerous animals in Africa. Living in a specific area, and being very aggressive, there are known cases of attacks on small boats and their crews. The scientists were only able to measure the bite force of the female hippopotamus, because the males are extremely aggressive.

The word hippo (Hippopotamus) comes from the Greek for "river horse" because of its incredible love of water. The closest relatives of the hippopotamus are whales and cows. They belong to the artiodactyl order, so camels, horses and goats are also relatives of the hippopotamus.

4. Jaguar

Bite force - 136 atmospheres

The jaguar's bite is the strongest among all cats, in fact, it has the strongest bite of all mammals. Being the real king of the jungle, the jaguar lives on the territory from Mexico to Argentina. The jaguar kills by biting its prey on the head. Like most other big cats (except the lion), the jaguar is a lone killer.

Among the victims of this animal are anacondas and caimans. Its bite is so strong that it can easily bite through even a tortoise shell. The animal got its name from the Indian word, which in translation means "one who kills with one jump." Although smaller than its African and Asian cousins, the jaguar is the largest cat in America. The most numerous populations of jaguars, according to the latest data, live in Belize.

3. American alligator

Bite force - 145 atmospheres

The American alligator is one of only two remaining alligator species in the world, the other being the Chinese alligator. Its population is about 5 million individuals, with more than 1.2 million living in Florida, the rest settled in Texas, Louisiana, North and South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama. They share this territory with crocodiles.

Their diet consists mainly of fish, turtles and small mammals. In a recent National Geographic study, scientists measured the bite force of an American alligator, which was 145 atmospheres, however, it is worth considering that the study involved rather small alligators, so it is likely that the figure could be higher.

2 Saltwater crocodile

Bite force - 251 atmospheres

Saltwater crocodiles received the highest rating from the National Geographic team for bite force measurements. However, they again measured the strength of several small crocodiles. Experts say that if the power of a small crocodile is translated into the power of a 6-meter monster, then it can reach up to 480 atmospheres. These monsters are found in Eastern India, Southeast Asia and Northern Australia.

Saltwater crocodiles eat everything that comes their way. The Australians affectionately refer to them as "pickles", however, they are not at all affectionate when it comes to this giant. They are responsible for most of the known cases of attacks on people, but they have as many human lives on their conscience as on the animal that is on the first line of our list.

1. Nile crocodile

Bite force - 340 atmospheres

In an experiment by National Geographic, the bite force of the Nile crocodile was estimated to be lower than that of the saltwater crocodile, but most other sources say 340 atmospheres. The Nile crocodile, as a rule, is almost the same size as the saltwater crocodile, and accordingly the strength of its bite is approximately in the same range.

The two are interchangeable when it comes to placement on this list, and their bite force will vary depending on the difficulty of measuring it in a crocodile of the right size. Nile crocodiles feed mainly on fish, but like their brothers, they attack anyone who has the audacity to meet them on the way. This applies to zebras, birds, and even small hippos.

An elephant will trample a rhinoceros, a walrus will easily finish off a polar bear, and a gorilla will stuff a leopard in the face.

The answer to the question "Who is stronger: a tiger or a lion, a crocodile or a hippopotamus, a falcon or a hawk?" - not only parents who are tortured by curious children are looking for. Quite serious scientists and simply lovers of the animal world are also trying to figure out who will defeat whom. It turned out that not always the most powerful wins.

It would seem, what is so difficult? You need to find out who is the largest and fastest of the animals and who has the stronger jaw. However, victory in a real fight does not always depend on these parameters. American naturalist Joseph Kullmann set out to find out who is the best in the animal world. He studies all cases of one-on-one fights and identifies features that help win. Some of the stories included in the book, we bring to your attention.

In wild nature

* Hunters of Primorsky Krai talk about fights between tigers and brown bears. The winner is more often the tigers, who do not just fight for prey, but specifically hunt clubfoot. However, it is not uncommon for rivals to disperse after a stubborn struggle without finding out who is stronger.

* In fights between elephants and rhinoceroses, the former more often win, despite the fact that the formidable weapon of the rhinoceros, its horn, is located at an angle dangerous for the enemy and can easily cut through the stomach of the elephant. However, the enraged elephant tramples the rhinoceros, sometimes first stunning it with a blow from a log.

* A rhinoceros who came to a watering hole was crushed by a hippopotamus skull with his fangs.

* In India, an 11-meter reticulated python defeated a tiger in a long fight: he strangled him and swallowed him.

* Fights of martens with wild forest cats are not uncommon. Outnumbered by their rivals, cats rarely come out victorious. A case is described when a marten at the end of an exhausting battle strangled a cat.

* On Komodo Island, monitor lizard feeding turns into a real show for the amusement of tourists. Once a goat intended for dinner tried to fight a giant lizard: he put out his horns and went on the attack. But the lizard dodged to the side, interrupted the goat's legs with its powerful tail and, pulling its muzzle, broke its neck.

Robot Animal Fights

Joseph Kullmann also studied the fights of animal robot models created by experts. They were shown in the Animal Battles series on the Discovery Channel. Simulators did not reproduce the animal in full, but had the same jaws, claws, impact and bite force.

Saltwater crocodile vs great white shark

The crocodile damaged the shark's tail fin, then bit through its chest, grabbing it by the rib. It seemed that he could celebrate the victory, but the shark did not retreat. She swam away and then attacked the crocodile. By clinging jaws, both animals began to sink. The crocodile began to lack air, and when he tried to emerge to take a sip of oxygen, the shark ripped open his stomach.

wolf vs cougar

Gray seized the cougar's paw with a death grip, but she threw the toothy one away with a blow of her paw. Then he tried to grab the cat's throat, and again unsuccessfully - the cougar seriously wounded him in the stomach with its claws. A "control" bite in the neck - and the puma comes out victorious in this fight.

Hippo versus blunt shark

A bleeding wound on the hippo's body attracted a shark. She could not bite the animal properly - his paws and stomach were too thick. However, the predator did not give up her attempts. This terribly angered the hippopotamus, and another attack of the shark ended in his mouth - he swallowed a 3-meter fish like some kind of sprat.

Amur tiger vs brown bear

The tiger tried to bite the bear by the throat, but failed. Then the striped one attacked the bear from behind and grabbed it with its claws. However, the bear threw off the tiger with a blow to the head with its paw, broke its spine and finished it off with a bite in the throat.

Polar bear vs walrus

The bear could not bite through the thick skin of the walrus. The latter decided to take refuge in the water. The bear went after him, but the walrus wounded him with fangs. After that, the bear tried to get out onto the ice floe, but the walrus finished him off by sticking his fangs in his back.

Anaconda vs Jaguar

The snake wrapped itself around the cat and tried to pull it under the water. The jaguar bit the tail of the reptile and almost made it to land. Anaconda made a second attempt, this time successful, and drowned the jaguar.

lion vs crocodile

Sharp teeth and claws did not help the king of beasts to break through the dense shell of a crocodile. Once again driving the lion away from the river, the crocodile went under the water. Then the lion came closer, trying to understand where the enemy had gone. And he paid for his curiosity: the crocodile, holding the lion's muzzle in its mouth, dragged it into the water and finished it off there.

Alligator vs black bear

The alligator tried to bite the bear's paw and hurt him, but not too badly. Then he attacked again, but the clubfoot dodged. The tired alligator decided to retreat, but the bear stopped him with a paw strike, the alligator turned over and exposed its unprotected stomach to the opponent. Having torn it open, the black bear won.

Gorilla vs Leopard

On the side of the leopard were the ability to see in the dark and feline dexterity. However, this did not help the leopard. All his attacks were easily repulsed by the gorilla, and in the end delivered a fatal blow with a powerful paw.

Giant squid vs sperm whale

While the sperm whale frightened the squid with sound signals, it attacked the toothed whale, clasping it with its tentacles. However, this was of little concern to the sperm whale. Having stunned the giant mollusk and grabbed it with his jaws, he went to the depths and dined quietly there.

lion vs tiger

For a long time, the fight between the two cats was on an equal footing. By the end of the duel, the tiger tried to grab the opponent by the throat, but the mane of the king of beasts prevented him. But the lion's attempt to grab the enemy's neck was successful, and he won.

Everyone will beat the king of beasts

Our observer Ruslan IGNATIEV is a hunting biologist by profession. He defended his diploma under the guidance of Nikolai Nikolaevich DROZDOV, he practiced under him in the program “In the Animal World”. We asked a colleague who he would bet on in threes: elephant, rhinoceros and hippopotamus; polar bear, lion and tiger; whale, sperm whale and killer whale.

March 18th, 2015

Many people believe that hippos are slow and clumsy due to their size, but this is a dangerous misconception. Here is a video of a hippo chasing a motorboat in Chobe National Park in Botswana. The driver of the boat speeds up just in time before the huge animal emerges from the water.

In 2014, a hippopotamus attack on a boat on a river in Niger killed 12 schoolchildren - seven girls and five boys. Such data of the country's authorities are cited by Agence France-Presse. The incident took place near the country's capital, Niamey. There were at least 18 people in the pie. Most of them are 12-13 year olds who were on their way to a school across the Niger River. The authorities did not specify how exactly they died.

Hippos, which often approach Niamey in search of deep places in Niger, frighten the locals. Experts note the strongest aggressiveness of adults at a time when their cubs are next to them. In such situations, hippos often attack cattle that graze on the banks of the river.

Let's learn more about these animals...

Photo 1.

Hippos are quite rightly considered to be among the most dangerous African animals. But they pose a danger only to those who themselves are trying to threaten them. In fact, the hippo personality has traits that many of us might envy. In this article we will try to tell you more about these amazing animals.

The life of a hippopotamus is somewhat reminiscent of the life of a retired heavyweight boxer. Calm, outwardly clumsy and phlegmatic, a little gloomy, but not an aggressive homebody. There are practically no enemies, all the neighbors know him well and are the first to greet him, and who does not know, just in case, tries to stay away. He does not offend the little ones, he can even provide help on occasion. Home, family, prosperity - he has everything, and he does not need anything from someone else. But if the "gopniks in the alley" stick, then ...

Photo 2.

Don't believe? Judge for yourself: predators are afraid to attack a hippopotamus because it is painfully terrible in anger, and it is armed perfectly. Despite the fact that the hippopotamus is a herbivore, its teeth are perhaps the most terrible one can imagine, especially the lower fangs. They grow throughout their lives and reach a length of over half a meter. In a fit of rage, the hippo easily bites a giant Nile crocodile in half.

The African fat man also has a lot of cunning and ingenuity. A case is known when a lion attacked a hippopotamus, when he was grazing on the shore. Probably, the king of beasts was too hungry, or something happened to his head, because hippopotamus lions usually bypass them. But, one way or another, this lion coveted a hippopotamus chewing grass, for which he paid. He did not even tear him with his fangs and trample him with his strong legs, but simply grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and dragged him into the water, where it was deeper. There the poor fellow-lion choked.

Photo 3.

And here is another case: a hippopotamus resting in the river was attacked by ... a shark. It was a rather large (about two meters) specimen of the so-called herring shark, which lives mainly in the ocean. But by some miracle, she was brought not only into the Mediterranean Sea, but also into the Nile Delta. And I must say, the herring shark is unusually aggressive and dangerous. Her teeth are long, sharp, bent back and form a solid palisade. In her element, she does not let anyone through: fish, sea animal, man - everything goes to feed her.

And this predator decided to feast on a hippopotamus, but literally attacked the wrong one. Unlike the case with the lion, the hippo did the opposite to her - he dragged the sea monster to the shore and trampled it there. Who will now doubt that hippos have brains?

Photo 4.

Of course, there is a predator on earth - cruel and merciless, capable of ruining any animal. This is a person. But people, oddly enough, do not need anything from hippos (as, in fact, hippos do not need anything from people). They do not have valuable tusks or horns, teeth are not listed on the market. All that the hippo has is just meat, and even that is far from a delicacy. In the days of slavery, whips were made from the skin of hippos to drive slaves, but slavery was officially abolished, and the production of whips disappeared with it. So even people do not touch hippos.

Photo 5.

Hippos lead a secluded lifestyle. You can walk several kilometers along the banks of the Nile and not meet a single hippo, and then suddenly it turns out that you have passed dozens of animals and simply did not notice them. You can swim in a boat a couple of meters from a hippopotamus and not pay attention to it. Among the garbage that the Nile carries into the sea, it’s hard to see a pair of small black “floats” - this hippo escapes from the heat, putting out only its eyes and nostrils. During the day, the animals lie at the bottom of the river. Their ears are "plugged" with special membranes that prevent water from entering. So, in the daytime, the hippopotamus is starving, and it goes out on the promenade only at night, and here it comes off in full in terms of feeding. To feed themselves, the hippopotamus has to eat 50-60 kilograms of grass per day.

Photo 6.

Of course, in the environment of hippos, as in any other, it is not without conflicts. Sometimes during the mating season, or during the distribution of food places, the matter ends in a fight, and blood is shed. But often the dispute about brides and territory is resolved quite peacefully. Male hippos periodically find out which of them is larger. Usually a contender for power approaches the commander in chief in the clan and stands nearby. Both hippos carefully examine each other, and the one who did not come out in height bashfully retires home, and the larger specimen becomes (or remains) the “boss”. The war can only start if both contenders have the same weight category.

Photo 7.

As for such hippo traits as kindness and generosity, here are a few examples for you.
The famous zoologist Dick Recassel witnessed how a crocodile attacked one of the antelopes that came to the watering hole. A hippo resting nearby came to the aid of an animal beating in the teeth of an alligator. He recaptured the antelope from the crocodile, pulled it ashore and began ... to lick its wounds. “The rarest case in the animal kingdom,” Recassel comments. - A real manifestation of mercy, and to a representative of a completely different species! Alas, help came too late. Half an hour later, the antelope died from shock and blood loss. But the hippopotamus remained near her for another quarter of an hour, driving away the flocked vultures, until the sun forced him to return back to the river.

Photo 8.

And more recently, visitors to the reserve in Kenya had a chance to observe the actions of a hippopotamus - almost a professional rescuer. Here is how it was. Wildebeest and zebra crossed the Mara River. An antelope cub, separated from its mother by the current, began to sink. Then a hippopotamus emerged from the water and began to push the baby to the shore. Soon, he safely got out on land and joined his mother, who all this time could only helplessly watch what was happening. In less than ten minutes, the same hippo rescued a drowning zebra. He helped her keep her head above the water and, like the "antelope", pushed her to land.

So these hippos are not such simple animals.

Photo 9.

Common hippos spend most of their time in the water, most often in fresh water. Occasionally they can go to sea.

If earlier the animal was found in many places on the globe, now a very small number of them have survived only in areas south of the Sahara. But even in Africa they are becoming less and less due to the fact that they are exterminated in large numbers by the local native population. Hippo meat is their main meat food.

Hippos adapt well to captivity, so almost all zoos contain this interesting animal.

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Who are the hippopotamus and hippopotamus? Many people do not know that these words refer to the same animal of the artiodactyl genus. The first name is translated from ancient Hebrew as "beast", perhaps due to the massiveness of this beast. The second is translated from Greek as "river horse" - hippos really love water.

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His body resembles a huge barrel, his legs are thick and so short that his stomach almost drags along the ground when walking. It can be up to 4 m in length, and the mass is simply fantastic - up to 5 tons! After elephants, the hippopotamus is in second place in size, as is the rhinoceros.

The tail is short, but quite mobile, with the help of it it sprays droppings and urine - it marks the territory.

On the paws there are 4 fingers with a membrane. When walking in the mud, the fingers spread out, and the stretched membrane helps not to slip and not to fall through.

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The ears are small, but with them he constantly tries to drive away insects. The head resembles a roughly cut rectangle, and the muzzle is covered with special sensitive hairs. In many photos, the hippopotamus is depicted with its mouth wide open - and indeed it can open it up to 150 degrees.

In it, a frightening-looking 36 teeth-fangs are visible. He uses them as protection or digs the ground.

The eyes are very small, around them are large folds of the eyelids.

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Unusually, these animals communicate with each other - by voice. They even have their own sounds-signals to indicate fear, aggression, danger. They express them with a roar, sometimes sounds like a horse neighing or grunting. The roar of hippos is very loud, it spreads far across the African expanses.

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Hippos live for about 40 years and die more often from diseases. In nature, they are not afraid of anyone except the lion. No one dares to attack them anymore. Yes, and a lion that encroached on a cub, a female in a rage can drown in silt mud or simply trample.

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Man is the biggest threat. Poaching for the meat, fangs and bones of the hippopotamus significantly reduces their population. Despite the fact that any child knows the phrase “oh, it’s not an easy job to drag a hippopotamus out of the swamp,” these animals have not yet been studied enough. Most likely, this happened because it is difficult to observe them, because they spend most of the day in the water.

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Do you know what the hippopotamus is doing in this GIF? Now I'll tell you.

Hippos do not like to travel, they do not search for food in distant lands, but prefer to grow grass themselves, in their own, so to speak, "garden". They do this in the following way: having limited a certain area for feeding themselves and their families, these animals regularly and diligently fertilize it with their own feces. And in order for the fertilizer to be distributed evenly, the animal “in the process”, so to speak, vigorously turns its tail, like a propeller. As a result, the "garden" of the hippopotamus, like a good farmer's, is always fertilized with high quality and brings an excellent harvest. And you don't have to follow him far.

Here it is worth noting that female hippos, while searching for a betrothed, meticulously monitor not the ability of males to care for the opposite sex, but their success in agriculture. The more powerfully the tail of a male hippopotamus spins, the more he gives out feces and the farther he scatters them, the greater the chances for the groom: it means that his family will live in abundance and will not die of hunger. A real marriage of convenience. But, perhaps, in this case, this is the right approach.

How does a giraffe sleep? Or maybe you don't know what it looks like. Find out more why and be sure The original article is on the website InfoGlaz.rf Link to the article from which this copy is made -