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Call for questions: HIPPOS (Patreon)

Published:
2024-12-16 22:45:43
Edited:
2024-12-16 22:46:13
Imported:
2026-06

Content

My last interview for 2024 is with an expert on hippos! This researcher focuses on the conservation of hippos and pressing issues like habitat loss, poaching and disease. What do you want to know about these chubby and endangered semiaquatic beasts? We'll talk both common and pygmy hippos.

Deadline: Thursday, December 19 at noon PST

 "Moo Deng" is Thai for "bouncy pig"

Comments

RJ Doidge

How fast can they run?! For how long?! How wide can they open their mouths?! Why are they adorable and terrifying at the same time!!

Potato Puffer

Why do they “windshield wiper” their butts when they poop?

Hope Madeline

Everyone wants a hippopotamus for christmas but what does a hippopotamus want for christmas!?!?

Sikwani Dana

do you know about the cocain hippos in south america? wish i could remember more about them but thats all i got right now lol

Scott Sheldon

What’s with their sweat that is red and is like sunscreen?

Gwen Hughes

Why are hippos so aggressive towards humans? Is it a territory thing? Are they just mad all the time?

Adam Foote

Obviously the little girl singing the song "I want a hippopotamus for Christmas" is dangerous and irresponsible, right?

JC

I always hear about how hippos are the most dangerous land animal in Africa. How do they kill so many people? Whose fault is it? (I'm betting it's the humans)

Scott Sheldon

Hippos vs alligators…do they fight as much as documentaries make it seem like?

Zed Shirogane

Who runs their PR team? Because the fact that the common hippo is so aggressive and territorial but people don’t really consider them scary like snakes or spiders? I just need to know, we need to hire them for the sharks.

Reuben Clamzo

Are they really the closest relative to whales? Was that proven with DNA?

Anthony Richards

What's with hippo sweat being red? Does it contain blood??

Chris Curious

What other animals are they closely related to?

Zed Shirogane

Why are they built like tanks? Like evolutionary wise, what’s the pressure to make them so muscular and built? I feel like that must take a lot of nutrients to maintain.

Susan Lin

Are their ears the shape they are to keep water out? Do they seal somehow under water?

Colby Evans

What adaptations do they have to swim so gul-darn FAST?

Shelby-Shnelbers

First time question asker here! ☺️ Why do they fling their poop?? My local zoo has an interactive display by our hippos that simulates the tail spinning to fling poops. So gross. For why?! 💩

Colby Evans

Will their skin get all sorts of messed up if they don't get into the water frequently? How mal-adapted to land only living are they?

Ingrid Felsl

Why is their sweat pink? Why are they so round? Why are they so aggressive?

Erin Burbidge

My nephews showed me a video supercut of hippos' rather... extreme ... defecation behaviour. I'd love to know what's going on. And boy howdy, WHY? And is there a risk of them making the water too dirty to drink? What about disease transmission?

daniel schmaniel

i saw a "puppet history" episode about the plan to import hippos as a source of meat in 1910. what does hippo meat taste like?

April Carter

I know that common hippos are one of the most aggressive and dangerous animals to encounter in the wild, but what are pygmy hippos like? How aggressive are hippos in captivity? Are they a nightmare for zookeepers, or are they more chill?

Lauren Kent

Why do they fling their poo when the go numba 2?

Jo

Is there a hippo hierarchy? and is there lots of fighting within the herd?

Amanda

How fast do they run on land? And how does that compare to their underwater speed?

Amanda

What are their poops like? Do they do their business underwater or on land?

Ashley Marrs

Please talk about the poop flinging. Is it a scent-marking behavior? and the tail swishing increases the amount of ground covered, like a seed spreader?

Autumn Knol

Why are their heads such funny shapes? And are hippos good parents? Why the name hippopotamus? It is very long

Erin

I saw a hippo aggressively spray poop at the zoo. Is this a territorial thing or do they just have stupendous fecal practices?

Amanda

What kinds of sounds do they make?

Hope

is there a reason they’re so aggressive? is climate change affecting hippo territory size?

Sarah Nolan

Why do their tails act as poop sprinklers???

Quincey Robisheaux

How are they so cute and also so so deadly? Additional q: Did you know there's an Egyptian goddess of childbirth and fertility who's represented by a female hippo? If you didn't, you're welcome and her name is Taweret

Amanda

Do they have rough skin? Soft skin?

Nina Eve Z.

Are they the deadliest animals?

Erin

What does the zookeeper keep rubbing all over MooDeng? Vaseline? Does she have psoriasis?

Reese Perini

What are their social interactions like? Do they have a matriarchy or patriarchy? Do they ever cuddle?

Kristina Weaver

I find it funny that the Egyptian goddess of chaos is portrayed as a hippopotamus considering their reputation. Are there any other mythologies or folk tales around these animals?

Katie Hammond

What is their social life like? Do they live in herds or are they more solitary? Are they matriarchal, like elephants?

Reese Perini

Do hippos have any predators?

Adam Foote

Maybe a dumb question but why are their mouths so huge? Do they only have like 4 teeth or am I too busy looking at the giant teeth that I miss the smaller ones?

Emily Krieger

talk to me please about hippo mating --- is it underwater i'm guessing? birth too?

Branwyn Iverson

My son Hugo would like to know if hippos have best friends. Thank you!

Steven Lee

What’s happening with Hippos and habitat loss, climate change and human population growth in their lands? Are they doing ok? Also- How bad is the invasive hippo situation in Colombia? Have they got that under control?

Quincey Robisheaux

q from my husband: Hippos are classified as herbivores. What do they do with the animals they kill in self defense, if anything?

Dr. Lina Carpenter

So I know "normal" hippos are VERY dangerous and run unexpectedly fast. What about pygmy hippos? Is their cuteness false pretense? Are they gonna go after you and get you if you aren't fast enough? I've also seen stories of full-size hippos coexisting with humans like pets. I know generally having a wild animal as a pet is a baaaad idea, but are there situations where this *does* help the hippo and is generally good for the humans (like when a hippo is not releasable)? Is having a hippo co-exist in a household is a no-go no matter what, or can those situations be "healthy?" Or do we have some real dark stories about "pet" hippos getting mad at those humans? Is it or would it be any different for pygmy hippos? How do hippos just poop in the water they're in and proceed to swim in it like no big deal. Most animals seem to be unnervingly blase about their poop, but swimming through it when you don't have an ocean to disperse it seems particularly unpleasant. (And could they ever make themselves sick by interacting with their poop?)

Ree McPee

Are whales really the closest living relatives to the two hippo species? What did their common ancestor look like? What did hippo’s direct ancestors look like? They seem so different from other mammals.

Mariann

Is their super aggression learned or genetic?

Lara Durgavich

How powerful is their bite force? In videos of zoo hippos chomping down on a whole watermelon or pumpkin it looks like it takes them no effort at all!

Emily Staw-fur

But can I get a hippopotamus for Christmas? Only kidding, has anyone ever tried keeping one as a pet?

Alan Gross

What's the situation with the hippos in Columbia?

Kirsten Love

Did the Columbian imported hippos change the environment? Fish adapt to their poop habits too?

Mariann

Are their penises appropriate for their size?

Corinna Regan

Hippos strike me as naked water buffalos or a manatee with legs. How do you describe hippo's (I'm thinking about describing a hippo to a person who has no idea what they are)?

Eli Loves Vultures

I love hearing scientists describe animal sounds. Wheezes and honks and croaks, oh my! What do we know about the sounds they make? What don’t we know?

Amanda Lask

What does their skin feel like? Are they soft like dolphin skin or slimy??

Sarah Norris Andrews

Why cant I have a tiny hippo that lives in my closet?? Do people outside of Canada know about the House Hippo? It's the ultimate hippo flim-flam!

Andy Pepper

Boy hippo poop spraying: discuss.

Eil Be Gone

I heard they're terrible swimmers. Is this true?

mish the fish

how scientifically accurate is the game hungry hungry hippos?

Sarah Philo

Is it true they secrete magic antimicrobial resistant sunscreen from their skin to protect themselves?

Sarah Philo

I've heard they're more dangerous than lions, is this true or just flim/flam? They look TERRIFYING chasing boats down a river

Katie Murray

How fast can they swim? Run?

Cascade

Why are hippos so dangerous?

Katie Murray

What other animals are they most closely related to? Elephants or whales or something nobody would expect?

Andy Pepper

Also can they discuss the wild plan to introduce hippos into the US in the early 1900s?

Katie Murray

What kinds of things are they good at on land vs in the water?

Caroline Lee

First time question asker! What is the best collective noun for hippos - a pod, thunder, bloat, crash, herd … there are so many of them! And how do people come up with these? Personally a thunder of hippopotamuses sounds awesome but that’s just my vote ☺️⚡️🦛

Channon Koty

My daughter wants to know Joe they run so fast? They look like they are too big to move that fast.

Kayla Whyte

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE TALK ABOUT PABLO ESCOBAR’S HIPPOS PLEASE IT’S MY FAVORITE STORY TO TELL NEW PEOPLE

Karleigh Dehlsen

Are there any interesting cultural ties to hippos? Like worship or superstition?

Aly V

Since they spend so much time in water, are their bones more porous to help with buoyancy (similar to whales).

Will Clark

What other animals are hippos relayed to?

Pseudonym Jones IV

First, what's with the sweating blood? Second, are they really that mean spirited?

Bonnie M Rutherford

Is it true that hippos are easily sunburned and that's why they stay in the water so much of the day?

Popita

I remember reading that hippos were related to horses. So what do they have in common with horses?

Colby Evans

Are they all so hungry hungry?

Saira (‘Sarah’) Manns

What is the collective noun for a group of hippos and why does my brain automatically say it’s a “pod”

Justin Bowen

Are they cold-tolerant beyond the temperatures of the waters in their environment?

Bonnie M Rutherford

There was a hippo in the Calgary zoo who used to turn his rear end towards people watching him and spray pee and poo. Is this common hippo behavior? This was the height of one school field trip.

Jen

How long can they hold their breath?

Jen

How long is a hippo's gestation period?

Timmy H.

Why are they so aggressive?

Timmy H.

Who is the Hippo’s PR team and why are they so good?

Emma Henson

I have to befriend one before I die, how do I go about this?

Ettegoom

I've heard that they do this as a breeding thing? or a threat behaviour?

Liv Bruce

Are any behaviours of the Canadian house hippo analogous to behaviours of real hippos?

Justin Bowen

My wife wants to know how well Moo Deng hears with those tiny flippy ears, if the flipping is some sort of communication and, if so, what it could mean.

Between Dumplings

Re: Hippos what happens when the whole planet is bone dry? Or at least where hippos live?

David Fieni

First time question asker! Does any of the revenue generated by viral videos of hippos go back to fund conservation efforts? Is there anything we can do to encourage this?

The Farming Linguist

Are they slippery when wet? I imagine touching them would be like touching an elephant covered in petroleum jelly

The Farming Linguist

The helicopter tail spin poop spreading? Fighting mechanism or territory marking?

T Noz

Do they taste like pork?

Chandler Witherington

What are the hippos closest living relative? Why are they so unique? Are there any fossil hippos we've found and/or can you speak to their evolutionary history?

The Farming Linguist

In danish Hippos are called "Flodhest" which directly translates as "river horse". I've always just assumed this was a "ahh, vaguely looks like a horse, 4 legs and a tail, and lives in a river, let's call it river horse" scenario. Intrigued to learn if there is actually a genetic relation

Ettegoom

Hungry for people?

Storm

Why do people think they can keep them as pets when they are dangerous animals and can very easily kill us

Nicole Kleinman

On Disney’s Jungle Cruise… They blow bubbles and wiggle their ears when they are going to attack. Is this true in real life??

Storm

how to hippos fair in captivity like in zoos compared to the wild

Berrawan

First time question asker. Hippo poop… all the details please!

Storm

what is a hippos social life like? are they solitary or in ‘pods’

Christina Hammarberg

YES! I was recently reading about how out-of-control the population has gotten in Colombia and I am very interested in knowing more.

Dayna Clarke

Where and when did they evolve? What’s our oldest hippo (or hippo-adjacent) fossil ever found?

Saira (‘Sarah’) Manns

Has the ologist tried a Happy Hippo by Kinder before? (If not, pls warn them that they’re addictive and won’t be able to stop eating them if they do try one)

Jennah Oshiro

Are hippos actually the most vicious and aggressive mammals? My husband says he hates them but I’ve always been more fearful of bears. Should I change my phobia to hippos?

Kait Dani

Why are hippos so murder happy? They seem so cool and chill in the water but also love to chomp chomp? I'm fascinated and terrified by their instinct to smash first ask questions later!

J Shay

I asked my six year old if she had any questions about hippos and she responded with hippo facts. She says that if hippos see a predator they shake their butts to warn the herd to run. Her question is why they do that and my question is whether that's true. Her confidence in this information was impressive.

wicker bitch

Tell me about their skin? Like what common animal is it closest to? Are pygmy hippos different? I feel like Moo Dengs skin dries out and I was not expecting that from a hippo

Wendy Miller

I too want to know what made Columbia so conducive to supporting hippos once they were no longer “pets.” They seem to be thriving.

rowantree

WHY ARE THEY! HOW ARE THEY! HOW DID THEY EVOLVE AND WHY?!?? Hippos are the ✨best✨ are males or females more aggressive and why? are they friends with any other animals (symbiotic relationship)?

Theladyisageek

What impact did the House Hippo commercial have on hippo awareness and (mis) information?

Eileen

Are they somehow distantly related to dogs? Because sometimes my beautiful boy looks just like a hippo.

Rachel Fallon

Do hippos have good memories? Do hippos in zoos remember their human caretakers?

Addie Cappello she her

OMG I’M SO EXCITED!!!!!! I love them so much. 🧡 Can you please talk about their attitudes? Truth or Flim Flam that they are just angry little water vegetarians who will rage nom? What are your feelings on actual hippos compared to house hippos (pitties/staffies)- are there any similarities besides absolute adorableness? Can you talk a bit about their ear muscles? It seems they have a fairly decent range of motion. Why such giant teeth for vegetarians? Do their teeth grow continually? What happens if they break? Swimming: for funsies? More efficient than land walking for density purposes? Have you ever been snuck up on during fieldwork because they are water stealth? Baby raising- mom? Dad? Both? How does that work. Are they all as sassy as Moo Deng? Can you contain your excitement squeals at the sight of them? (I cannot) I am SO excited to learn more!! THANK YOU!!!! 🤓

Eliana Weiss

FTQA here! How does the ologist feel about the game Hungry Hungry Hippos? Are hippos really hungry in real life or do they eat a normal amount for a creature of thier size?

CurtisDawg

I heard that they have this natural sunscreen thing going on. What's "blood sweat" all about?

CurtisDawg

If I meet a hippo in the wild, can I try to hug it?

Addie Cappello she her

This thread is the first I’m hearing of hippo pets… need the story here for sure

Shawn Hebrank

Are they the angriest vegetarian animal in the whole world? As someone who has been vegan for 25 years but also has hate in my heart, I feel like we are basically twins.

MarysaK

First time asker- LONG TIME LISTENER and fangirl. Omg SHHHHTAPPPPPP hippos! Could we ask to know a little more on their social structures? Do they pair or live separately and who are raising the … hippolings…? (I don’t know the word for a baby hippo). Also are they slimy like a frog or dry like an elephant? And lastly what is their eyesight like? It seems as if the socket placement has them looking sideways… and yet they scamper around so gracefully.

Margaret Aisenbrey

My very favorite thing on the internet is my local (kansas city) zoo's picture of a hippo sticking its feet up in the air. Tell me why those toe beans are so perfect.

Jennifer Froh

Can they move their ears individually?

Jennifer Froh

Why are their teeth so far apart and also flat/not pointy?

Hailee Kirby

I've always heard how they kill more people than lions. Is that true? Why are they like that? And why are their mouths so strong? They just eat grass, right? Right??

Jennifer Froh

How does such a big animal stay boyant and how long can they hold their breath?

Lauren Seibert

Why are they the most dangerous animal?

Michael

I missed the call for questions about the brain: I really wanted to know: When being guillotined, does your brain still live on and if so, for how long? Like laying there in the basket long?

Organic Free-Range Lily

1. I've heard that Venezuela has a huge problem with hippos that had been imported by a rich drug lord. Apparently, there are quite a few of them now. Is there a viable plan in the works to relocate them out of there? 2. What specifically made Moo Deng such a global phenomenon? (As opposed to all the other cute animals in the zoos and sanctuaries where the staff have cellphones and internet access.)

Theladyisageek

Find it on YouTube. You're welcome from Canada.

Casa Reed-Dean

FTQA Do they want to kill humans or is it their instinct?Do they accidentally eat fish or little critters when chomping down on their underwater salad? How long can they hold their breath?

Audrey Hudak

How fast can hippos run on land vs water?

Miren Carredano

is it true that their sweat is pink? WHY? who eats/hunts hippos (in nature, not poachers, obviously)?

Rachel M

Has Moo Deng’s popularity translated to increased funding for conservation and/ or research?

Kayla Whyte

Long story short, Pablo Escobar had hippos that got loose in Columbia and repopulated. Hippos are very very dangerous and the people there thought they were cute for a while and let them roam around.

Mona Finlayson

How do hippos socialize? Are they solitary or do they enjoy playing with other hippos?

ReigningEmily

I once read that some “forward thinking” gentlemen in the early days of America wanted to import hippos into the Louisiana and Florida swamps to farm for meat. Is that true? And if that had been done what do you think those swamp would look like today? As a Louisianan and swamp lover I’m so fascinated by the pure insanity of this concept.

Chrysalis Ashton

How long can they hold their breath when they run under water?

Yuri

Why does their skin gak me out? (Shudders) (Beauty without the b)

Kevin Tiemeyer

FTQA Where did the myth about "mouth flatus" come from... idk why I'm trying to act like this question can be asked tactfully, lol. But, I have always wondered ever since hearing that little"factoid" in the movie The Ghost and the Darkness.

Anjali Himali

How the heck are they so dangerous yet so cute??

Nova Q

How similar are Pygmy hippos to African ones? Are they legitimately just miniature versions?? Is there a difference in dna because of evolution???

Zuleika Pevec

Do they give birth on land or underwater? Do they nurse underwater? Do male hippos do any parenting? How long do the young stay with their moms/parents? How long do they gestate?

Mary Long

How strong is their bite? And are they a matriarchal community?

Samantha McGarrigle

How many different species of hippos are there? Are pygmy and African hippos the results of divergent evolution from a common ancestor or convergent evolution?

Stacie Bendixen

Why do they have teeth that point in different directions? Why are their feet so cute? How are they so dainty when they push off from the bottom in the water like ballerinas? How do they sleep underwater? Why do they flick their ears like that?

Pavka34

How dangerous are hippos? I remember reading someplace that they are the most dangerous animals in Africa. However a book I read as a kid said just don’t get between them and water.

zoey

how does so much publicity to animals like moo deng impact? does it help or hurt conservation?

Pavka34

I thought it was a Colombian drug lord butI want to know about them too. I heard they’re doing really well, unfortunately.

Pavka34

A book I read as a kid said they’re closely related to whales and dolphins. Is this true? Are they related to any other land mammals?

Pavka34

What were prehistoric hippos like? Were they even bigger?

KELLIE D MORGANTINI

How about - what do they eat? Are they vegetarians, eat fish? Sand?

Tomcat

Ftqa: what's the deal with their diet? herbivores, opportunistic omnivores or actual omnivores?

Lex Clearwater

my girlfriend wants to know what the hairs on their lips are for

Amelia Heins

How many teeth do they have? How are they handling entire watermelons in one chomp?!

Teresa Gleason

Were there larger, prehistoric “hippos”? How are the ones in Columbia doing? Is anyone studying the Columbia population for any reason, or are they just being ignored?

Timothy Nolan

Any truth to George Washington reporting Hippos in the Potomac River?

Timothy Nolan

I understand that mother hippos need to keep their babies away from males, like with Grizzlies. Is this all the time or just for a certain period after birth?

Mykenzie King

This feels like a great place to drop the fun fact I have about Hippos. In 1910 Robert Broussard, a Louisiana Senator, proposed that Hippos be imported from Africa to Louisiana to be the new version of Beef in America. This was due to corporate beef monopolies, beef shortages and super high prices on beef nationwide. (For anyone interested there is a hilarious video on YouTube by the channel Watcher called “How Hippo Meat Almost Saved America”)

Bee

What’s the TLDR on hippos and humans? Are we friends or foes?

The Merry Slav

Three Questions: 1. Do you like that there is a game called Hungry Hungry Hippos? (Did you enjoy playing it?) 2. Would you ride in a balloon with Peter Potamus? 3. On a more serious note: do you know anyone who has been attacked by a Hippo? (Have you ever felt yourself in danger?

Colby Evans

What’s the purpose of having a mouth that opens so wide?

Rebecca Knight

Why only 4 teeth? How does that even work?

Colby Evans

Did you hear about ‘Bubbles’ who escaped from Wild African Safari in Irvine in the 70’s?

Colby Evans

A group of hippos is a bloat?? Rude

Jennifer Grogan

I heard there was some controversy about the treatment of Moo Deng; what's the story there and what (if they can say) is the guest's opinion of the issue? Also, are they really the most dangerous animals in the parts of Africa they inhabit? I heard that once, and have always wondered whether it's true or not.

SuchaHotMetz

Whose the worlds biggest hippo? Are hippos related to pigs?

Jenni Hoover

What is the origin of having a "house hippo"?

ValBeListening

Do common hippos kill for sport? How aggressive are common and pygmy hippos? (Moo Deng's mom is so chill but I've heard a common hippo will charge at you for no reason)

Jeanette-o-saur

Why can't the Canadian house hippo be real?! I waaaannt ooonne!

Jeanette-o-saur

How many species of hippo are there? What is the size range?

Creature Feature

What is the ologists favorite hippo related art and/or literature? (FTQA ☺️ with fond childhood memories of the George and Martha books.)

Claire Richie

Is their rep for being hella dangerous for real? Or can I give them pats if I see them in the wild? (I will never see one in the wild.)

Claire Richie

Follow up question: if I were to pet one, what would that feel like? They look so slippy

Kristin 🦦

This was my husband’s first comment!

Ruby Gordon

Why do they fling their poo? Do they all do it or only the dominant ones in the group?

BENJAMIN

Were hippos ever used for transportation or used in battles ever?

Melanie Yakemovic 🦄

How many watermelons or pumpkins can they crush and eat in an hour? (Or some other arbitrary unit of time)

Jacob Shepherd

Are hippos related to horses? Because doesn’t their name mean something like river horse?

Nicky G

Hippo sweat... What is it composed of, and how does it protect them from the sun?

Fi Cameron

At what age do hippos go from silly little baby to extremely deadly animal? (Of course they are cute at all ages, but also don’t mess with a hippo!)

Jonathan Cummings

Regarding conservation, what questions do you wish we had answers to, or what information do you wish we had?

Jonathan Cummings

Is there any conflict or disagreement between international conservation or management efforts and local conservation or management efforts?

Jonathan Cummings

In a lovely hypothetical world outside our reality, if a mega philanthropist gave a bunch of money to you for hippo conservation, how would you spend it?

Yngvi

Can you make a comment on their specific thick skin and adaptations to the environment? I saw this in “Inside nature giants” with Joy Reidenberg and was fascinated.

Alice Rubin

I know I asked this for capybara, but still applies here...what ecosystem services do hippos provide?

Hezy Anholt

Given their totally bizarre dentition, how do these saber-toothed river-cows graze!? They don't have the even incisors for tearing grass (why those pokey-outy incisors!?) and they don't seem to have a dental pad (what bovids and cervids cut grass against instead of upper incisors). How are they tearing the plants for their grassy mouth-fulls? Do they have specialized diamond-cutter lips? I have spent probably hours watching hippos graze through binos and I cannot make it make sense, please help :)

Luci

What evolutionary purpose does their excessively large mouth serve ?

Luci

Also why did Pablo Escobar have hippos of all things?

Honor

As the etymology suggests are the related to horses at all?

Anna Vilnīte

I would also like some professional information on Moo Deng, there's a lot of controversy regarding caretakers riling animals up for the reactions that visitors want to see, and whether online content being the goal is harming the creatures we seem to love so much.

Euan Munro

How tough is their skin? I see the fights in nature documentaries with the males fighting and they look brutal!

Keerat Singh

What are their social lives like?

Jenna Congdon

Why do they have those GIANT teeth if all they eat is grass and leaves? Are they purely for fighting? And why do they wake up and choose violence every day? So grumpy.

Azra

Q from Cyprus, where we used to have pygmy hippos (who supposedly mostly went extinct on their own, coincidentally when the island was being populated with humans): are pygmy/big hippos very sensitive to climate? Also, if human-related extinction, why would hippos be hunted in the first place? Do they taste good? :(

Kay Lucas

Where did the pygmy hippo come from?

Leanna Shuster

From my 16 year old daughter: How long ago did hippos share a common ancestor with marine mammals?

Leanna Shuster

From my 14 year old son: Which sense is predominant for hippos?

Silvana Oderisi

FTQA here- how did hippos- one of the world’s most dangerous animals- become one of the cutest to humans? I read somewhere 500 people die a year from hippos, while animals we see as fierce like sharks only kill 10 people per year. People typically don’t fully grasp the crushing power behind this animal. Do hippos in human care like Fiona and Moo Deng play a role in this mentality and/or does it go beyond that?

Olga Kolesnikova

What's the deal with them sometimes indulging in a bit of cannibalism? Aren't they herbivores?

A softly boiled egg

I would really be curious to hear the expert's thoughts on the hippos brought to Colombia by Escobar and are now damaging the local ecosystem. Should they be hunted? Put on hippo birth control?

Amelia Frank

FIONA!!!!! (That’s it, that’s the whole question)

Olivier Calas

Do hippos mate for life and if so could that be the source of their grumpiness?;-)

Bel Jensen-Hill

Is it common or somewhat out of the ordinary for a baby hippo to he as ornery as Moo Deng (no shade I wish I could be as ornery as Moo Deng is in public)

Joshua Tauzin

Why do they poop into their propeller tails like that; like literal shit hitting the fan?

Tom Boodry

They seem to be fast in both water and on land, is there something unique about their anatomy that allows for this?

Nathalie Jones

So…. Tell me more about how whales closest modern relative is hippos…

Nathalie Jones

Is moo Deng doing ok? It seems like having thousands of humans yelling and looking at you a day would mess up a baby’s development…

Nathalie Jones

Are their weird ears similar to polar bear ears?? Does it have to do with swimming?

Anastasia Doherty

Why is Tasha the Backyardigan the best rep for hippos? Assertive, likes to be in charge and is difficult to frighten. But, is still so endearing!

Allison Ludwig

Ahhhh first time question asker! 1. If they are so aggressive in nature, are there any other animals (besides humans) that prey on hippos? Or do predators know to steer clear? 2. Do tilapia really swim behind them and eat their poo? 3. Are baby hippos cuddly?

it’s just sarah

are they really hungry hungry? did the person who made the game have a bad hippo experience?

it’s just sarah

“I want a hippopotamus for christmas” how difficult would it be to have a hippo/how much wrapping paper do i need

Dean K Ellison

Mum told me a hippo would eat me up but the teacher told me hippo is a vegetarian. Who's right?

Emily Bernard

FTQA: What’s the probability of hippos attacking humans versus shark or alligator attacks? Which is more likely? What did hippos evolve from? Are they more closely related to elephants or rhinos? So many q’s!!!

Emily G

I've heard that birds will clean hippos' teeth, is that true? What's the deal with their dental routine?

Carolyn Rush

Why would anyone poach a hippo? What are they used for?

Matt Hirschl

I want to know everything there is about Hippo sunburn. Do they get burnt? Does their skin have special properties to be exposed to the sun?

cheesemonger

Why are they commonly represented as purple? Are there even purple hippos?

Ashley Hay

Yes, why are they so mad?

DeWaine Tollefsrud

What’s the deal with hippo butt leeches? Is there really more blood supply there or is it just easy access? Or is it a leach defense against birds that would clean parasites off the hippos?

Patricia Evans

As with a lot of the other Patrons, I wonder about the hippo's reputation for being dangerous and aggressive. What do we know about their motivation? Are they just protecting themselves/their young? Since they aren't meat eaters, is it just being territorial?

Staci Pinkowitz

i'm so excited for this bc a dinosaur person i talked to recently compared the myth of the 'gentle giant' herbivorous dinosaurs to calling hippos and rhinos 'gentle giants' like nah they're eating grass or whatever but they'll fuck you up bigtime

Dana

CANADIAN HOUSE HIPPOS - do you know the stories ☺️

Disha Dattani

Please tell us about hippo sweat! I remember seeing a documentary as a kid where researchers tried to collect wild hippo sweat bcc they suspected it could have medicinal properties. Is this true?

Lee Wang

Why do big herbivores like hippos always seem to be so bad-tempered to the point that they're usually responsible for the most direct human deaths (non-mosquito division)?

Cassandra Grafstrom

Hippos and crocodiles -- do they get along? I understand that they can live near one another (omg, no thank you). Do they keep their distance from one another? Do hippos attack crocs? Vice versa?

Jeter

How dangerous is a hippo compared to a moose?

Guido

How intelligent are they?

Karol

How closely related to cows are they?

Karol

Do they have any natural predators?

Claire Richie

What is their preferred water temperature?

Claire Richie

How many stomachs do they have? More than one, like cows?

Claire Richie

Is it true that they’re matriarchal? Can you tell us more about hippo social structures?

Katie Biardi

Are they actually fat? Or are they secretly ripped like seals?

Dad jokes crack me up

A long time ago, I watched a documentary where a momma hippo unsuccessfully introduce her baby male to the herd . I’m still haunted by that documentary. these cute shnorklepuses were MEAN. And we won’t speak of what happened in case I traumatize others, too. 25 years later. Still hurts my heart when I think of these particular hippos!! Is harsh (nasty) treatment of baby male offspring common? Is it easier to introduce female babies? I did not stick around to find out but I think I’d like to know. (After watching that scene, I sat with tears running down my face and my husband quipped “and you didn’t want to watch Law & Order because it’s too VIOLENT!?!” (Truth. I thought the hippo documentary would be a lovey alternative to crime tv).

Wildlife Tech Grace

Are Pygmy hippos just as aggressive as the common? Or are they somewhat “mild mannered” in comparison? OR are they just as aggressive, but because they aren’t as large they just aren’t as dangerous? Of course any wild animal is dangerous ;)

Wildlife Tech Grace

So what are the main differences in social structure for pygmy and common? I know Pygmy are more solitary. So does mom chase off the kids after a certain time? Do they have larger territories? How far do they travel to find a mate? Does their more reclusive lifestyle have to do with where they are found?

EmmaB

What even are they? Who are they closely related to?

EmmaB

When did hippos evolve?

Maria Fesz

FTQA! Can hippos really not swim even though they spend so much of their time in water (is this film flam)? Why do they spend so much time in it…has this always been the case or did they evolve into this lifestyle?

Ashley Tweeten

Is there a symbiotic relationship between birds and hippos?

Rob Lara

The poo helicopter. Why? Also, who else does this? Not me.

Allison Ludwig

Is the Ologist asking for a hippopotamus for Christmas?

Colin Rowbottom

How did hippos get the perception that they are harmless? At least culturally in America. What are the social lives of hippos? Do they mate for life?

Colin Rowbottom

What makes hippos so dangerous? Is it that they are territorial? Or perhaps have a extremely high exerted bite pressure as they chomp down?

Judy Perkins

How long are hippos pregnant and do they ever have more than one baby per pregnancy

Judy Perkins

Were there prehistoric hippos?

Darren Bush

No crocodiles or rhine-os-er-usses.

Darren Bush

A hippo killed a friend of mine who was kayaking in Egypt on the Upper Nile. They seem pretty chill and I can't imagine why a hippo would give a [ ] about a paddler in a plastic kayak floating by. His companions said it came from nowhere. They're not eating flesh (right?), so what gives?

Darren Bush

Sounds like a bad movie. Megacroc vs. Ultrahippo.

Darren Bush

So true. SO true. Title album: A Spray of Feces.

Darren Bush

I will never order tilapia again in any restaurant, ever. Thanks, Allison. :-)

Darren Bush

It has trajectory. I saw it at a zoo (San Diego) years ago. It was impressive. Disgusting, but impressive.

Darren Bush

A hippo crushing a pumpkin is SO satisfying, right?

also_ally

First time question asker here! When I visited the zoo as a child, I always remember the hippos just chilling as they were submerged in the water and they didn’t move around very much. Do wild hippos also just chill all day (minus when they’re hunting)? And do you think hippos in captivity are bored?

Dani Kirby

There is also a alternative history novel called American Hippo about this. I haven’t read it yet, but it’s on my list

Dani Kirby

Not a question, but I used to work at Disney’s Jungle Cruise and once had a friend transfer over to the safaris and forgot that hippos can leave the water since the ones we were used to we called “hippo-bottomless”

Darren Bush

And they aren't dangerous unless they wiggle their ears...was that still part of the schtick?

PeculiarMxPie

Has the media explosion over Moo Deng helped or hurt as far as awareness over hippos? Did people just absolutely wreck that zoo with tourism or is all media attention good media attention?

Jess Suttner

Would love to hear about the Hippo Farming attempt that happened in the early 20th century - something about meat shortages and rising prices - they'd import hippos to Louisiana to substitute for cows?! First heard on Radiolab!

Jon Provance

Why do the use their tails to basically turn themselves into a shit sprinkler?!

Amanda Nugent

Is there a plan for the cocaine hippos in Colombia from Escobar’s estate?

Matty

First time question asker. I would like to know about the effects of the Escobar hippos in Columbia. How the ecosystem was harmed or benefited from the addition?

Kelly Shaver

What's up with their teeth? They are these extreme predators but they don't have mega-scary fang like crocs or big cats. More like a bunch of random length teeth sticking up at odd angles.

Kelly Shaver

IS IT TRUE THAT THEY CAN CHARGE SO FAST THEY TEMPORARILY LIFT OFF THE GROUND???

Kelly Shaver

Are adorable pygmy hippos naturally occurring or did humans do that? (Please don't be us *sad face*)

Vin

Are you going to talk about Pablo Escobar?

Mouse Paxton

I need to know: Did you ever see the house hippo ads?? How delighted would you be if they were real?

Alli B

Why are they so angry? (Or why do they charge so violently?)

Alli B

How long is hippo gestation?

Alli B

How big can hippos get?

Sam Blue

ftqa! if not friend, why friend shaped? they have such cute little ears why do they want to eat me?

Michael Sherman

Has anyone ever made leather from hippos? Also can you munch on them like a large Kalua pig?

GhoulNextDoor

How have people coexisted with hippos in the distant past? Did people generally try to steer clear of them or were there other interactions such as hunting?

GhoulNextDoor

I’ve heard they’re super dangerous. Is that because they seek out violence or is it only that they have the potential to be if provoked?

Susan G

If not friend, why are their ears friend shaped??

Katie King

Why are they so aggressive? I know they live near crocodiles but it seems like it is more than just self defence.

Katie King

Why do they have such big teeth? What do they eat? I assumed it was grass and aquatic plants, but in zoos they chomp entire watermelons or pumpkins like it's nothing, why are they equipped for that?

Katie King

house hippos ❤️, are you familiar? Thoughts?

Katie King

Do they sweat blood? I saw an internet-fact about that and it seemed pretty wild, any truth?

Pink Puppy

First-time question asker here! An Australian classic children's picture book is "There's a Hippopotamus on Our Roof Eating Cake" by Hazel Edwards. I've celebrated my birthday with a watermelon cake every year since I turned 2. I just turned 13 and am so excited I got an Ologies membership. I’ve never had the opportunity to share watermelon cake with a hippo, but there was that one time my puppy managed to snag a piece! What type of cake would you choose? It doesn't need to be compatible with a hippo's diet, but it could certainly be shaped like one. When do they reach sexual maturity and how long is the gestation? At our local zoo the calves have stayed with their mum. Would this happen in the wild too?

Ashley Marrs

there are several questions about this and I’m fascinated! Is it blood or some other pigment?! Can’t wait to hear about it.

Cooper Michael

What can we do as individuals to help combat habitat loss of their territory and the territory of other endangered and threatened species all over?!

Ruben Pots

First-time question asked: what does hippo skin feel like? Is it like a dolphin? Is smooth, coarse. Must know! <3

Frani

What do hippo parents do to raise their young?How long do young hippos need to be cared for by their parents? What are their favorite things to eat? How long do they live? What is climate change doing to hippos? What do researchers find endearing about hippos?

Eli Loves Vultures

ftqa: are hippos soft? what does their skin feel like? do they feel like other whippomorphs? or are they like .. smooth like banana peels?

Frani

How do hippos play?

Jani Rounds

Why are they so murder-y?

NickyTeddy Palmer

Why are they in groups if they are so territorial?

Obilot

Why do hippos hate everyone?!

Holland G

Ftqa! What is the ratio of their time spent in water versus out on land? And does this vary by species, or weather conditions? They seem to be in the water A LOT. What factors influence their water time?

Figment

dang!! did i miss the questions?! i'm going to post for myself then. does everyone really want a hippopotamus for christmas? are they the top of their local food chain? how fast are they? how fast can they swim? how do they swim with those feet? how accurate are the hippos in the 1973 disney robin hood cartoon? are the babies friendly like baby elephants? is it hard for them to do it since they're so low to the ground? how many babies per year? life expectancy? does anyone eat them? if so, what's it like? jaw pressure psi? how many teeth? why? because of all the time in water and they also a fish like capybara and beaver? thank you.

RocksAreEpic

Is it true that the bulls will attack calves? And is it also true that the females protect calves with a special counter attack (and win)? If so, that's kind of badass. Why is head-on fighting a male hippo thing?

ilikeplantsmorethanpeople

Are they actually violent and scary? People are always like, "don't mess with hippos" but I really just want them to be cuddly and cute. Also, do they brush hippos' teeth in zoos? The teeth are ENORMOUS and I wonder if it's just one dude's job to go brush the hippos teeth.

Ingrid Clark

FTQA: If not friend, why friend shaped?

Mini Minnie

Are they land whales? Land manatees?

redtoque

etymology of the name? like how cute is the word "hippopotamus"

Bob in Oregon

Are they, in fact, Hungry Hungry ??