African Hippopotamus
Hippopotamus amphibius
🦛
Chordata
Mammalia
Artiodactyla
Hippopotamidae
Hippopotamus
Hippopotamus amphibius
The River Horse of Africa, the Hippopotamus is a semi-aquatic giant known for its immense size, aggressive behavior, and powerful jaws. Revered and feared by ancient peoples, the Hippopotamus once ranged widely across Africa and was hunted for its meat, hide, and ivory-like teeth.
Description
Hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) — The Common Hippopotamus is a large, mostly herbivorous mammal native to sub-Saharan Africa. It spends much of its life submerged in rivers and lakes to keep its massive body cool under the hot sun. Despite its rotund appearance, it can run up to 30 km/h on land and is an excellent swimmer. Adult males average 1.5 meters tall at the shoulder, 4 to 5 meters long, and weigh between 1,500–3,200 kilograms. Hippopotamuses play a crucial ecological role in aquatic ecosystems by transporting nutrients from land to water through their dung.
Quick Facts
Max Mass
Shoulder Height
Standing Height
Length
Diet
Trophic Level
3200
1.5
2.25
3.8
kg
m
m
m
Mixed Feeder
Herbivores – Grazers
Hunt History
Evidence suggests humans have hunted hippopotamuses since the late Pleistocene. Early hunter-gatherers targeted them for meat, fat, and bones, using spears and traps at water crossings. In ancient Egypt, hippos were both feared and symbolically important; they were hunted by pharaohs as a display of power. Their ivory-like canine teeth were also valuable trade items.
Earliest Archaeological Evidence of Human Predation:
Ishango Site, Democratic Republic of Congo (20,000 BP) — Stone blades and cut-marked hippopotamus bones indicate systematic butchery.
Jebel Sahaba, Sudan (13,000 BP) — Remains of hippos with embedded lithic points show hunting along the Nile’s floodplains.
Nile Valley Sites, Egypt (10,000–5,000 BP) — Hippo bones with signs of tool use and ritual deposition suggest hunting and symbolic significance.
Time & Range
Extinction Status
Regionally Extinct
Extinction Date
Temporal Range
Region
10000
BP
Late Pleistocene
Africa
Wiki Link
Fat Analysis
Fatness Profile:
High
Fat %
15
Est. Renderable Fat
480
kg
Targeted Organs
Subcutaneous belly/flank fat
Adipose Depots
Thick subcutaneous (belly/flank), visceral; marrow
Preferred Cuts
Back/flank subcutaneous fat
Hunt Difficulty (x/5)
5