Last updated 2008.03.19
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The
closest living relatives to the Hippopotamus
(Hippopotamus
Amphibius)
are the whales.
The hippos live in groups of 40-50 individuals but groups of more than hundred individuals are not uncommon. They spend most of the daytime submerged in water or mud to avoid over-heating. During dusk and night-time they graze on land and they can move quite far from their water holes, up to some 15 km.
Despite their size and plump appearance they can easily out-run humans, reaching speeds of more than 40 km/h.
The hippo is believed to be the most dangerous of the African mammals.