Hippopotamus mother and baby, Chobe National Park, Botswana
Hippopotamus mother and baby, Chobe National Park, Botswana (© jacobeukman/Getty Images)
Hippopotamus mother and baby
Hippopotamuses are majestic, sub-aquatic mammals. These African herbivores are scattered across the continent below the Sahara Desert, but despite their wide range are listed as a vulnerable species due to a loss of habitat. While they spend their lives in and around water, hippos can’t swim or float. To breathe, they push off the ground underwater, a behavior they can do even while asleep. Hippos can live up to 40 years in the wild and possess the largest mouth of any land animal in the world.
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