Hippo Heroes Trivia Quiz

Answer: Greek

The word "hippopotamus" comes from Ancient Greek, combining "hippos" ("horse") and "potamos" ("river"). Greek writers and naturalists became aware of the animal around the 5th century BC, probably through contact with Egypt and other regions along the Nile, where hippos were commonly found. To them, the large, semi-aquatic mammal resembled a kind of river-dwelling horse, at least in terms of its size and bulk.

Many modern European languages have retained this Greek term almost unchanged: "hippopotame" in French, "ippopotamo" in Italian and "hippopotamus" in English. German, however, took a different approach. Rather than adopting the foreign word, German translated it directly: "Flusspferd", meaning "river horse". This is one of the few major languages to reflect the original Greek meaning in a native form.

Fun fact: Although their name links them to horses, hippos are not related to horses at all. Their closest living relatives are cetaceans - a surprising connection revealed through molecular and fossil evidence.

Answer: calf

Like the young of cows, elephants and whales, a baby hippopotamus is called a calf. At birth, a hippopotamus calf weighs between 25 and 50 kilograms (55 and 110 pounds). They are usually born underwater and must immediately swim to the surface to take their first breath.

Hippos typically give birth to one calf at a time, and the mother is extremely protective. When in deeper water, the calf often rests on its mother's back and begins nursing underwater - sealing its ears and nostrils shut while doing so.

Adult male hippos are called bulls, females are cows, and groups are called pods or herds. While these naming conventions reflect similarities with other large mammals, hippo behaviour is uniquely adapted to their semi-aquatic lifestyle.

Fun fact: Despite their size, newborn hippos can hold their breath underwater for up to 40 seconds. This impressive skill is essential for their survival in the water.

Answer: Submerge themselves in water

To avoid sunburn and overheating, hippos spend most of the day submerged in water. Rivers, lakes and swamps provide them with protection from ultraviolet radiation and relief from the intense heat. They typically remain underwater for up to 16 hours a day, only emerging at dusk to graze on land.

Their eyes, ears and nostrils are positioned high up on their heads, enabling them to remain almost completely submerged while still being able to see, hear and breathe. This allows them to keep cool and stay safe without having to leave their aquatic sanctuary.

Fun fact: Hippos don't just avoid the sun - they also secrete their own natural sunscreen, a reddish oily fluid. We'll get to that in the next question!

Answer: Blood Sweat

This secretion is commonly known as "blood sweat", though it is neither blood nor sweat. Hippos release this thick, reddish-orange fluid from glands in their skin. It contains two key pigments: hipposudoric acid, which is red, and norhipposudoric acid, which is orange. These substances absorb ultraviolet light and protect the animal from sunburn. and they also have antibacterial and antimicrobial properties that prevent skin infections.

The secretion turns red when exposed to air, which explains the "blood" nickname. It spreads across the skin like a natural film, which is especially useful for an animal that spends hours basking in direct sunlight at the edge of rivers or mud pools.

Fun fact: No other mammal is known to produce this kind of natural sunblock. Scientists have studied hippo "blood sweat" in the hope of developing new types of biodegradable sunscreen for humans.

Answer: Whale

Despite their size and amphibious lifestyle, hippos are most closely related to whales and dolphins. For much of the 20th century, pigs were considered their nearest relatives based on similarities in their teeth and digestive systems. However, this view changed in the 1980s and 1990s when studies of fossil records, blood proteins and DNA sequences revealed that hippos and whales shared a common ancestor around 55 million years ago.

This ancestor probably spent part of its life in water and is believed to have belonged to an extinct group of semi-aquatic, even-toed mammals. Today, scientists classify both whales and hippos in a subgroup called Whippomorpha, which highlights their evolutionary connection.

Fun fact: Although they look very different today, both hippos and whales give birth and nurse their young underwater, behaviours that reflect their shared aquatic heritage.

Answer: Africa

Hippopotamuses are native to Africa, where two species are found in distinct regions. The common hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) inhabits rivers, lakes and swamps throughout central and eastern Africa, as well as parts of southern Africa, with large populations in countries such as Zambia, Uganda, and Tanzania.

The much rarer pygmy hippopotamus (Choeropsis liberiensis) inhabits the forested wetlands of West Africa, primarily in Liberia, with smaller populations in Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Côte d'Ivoire. Unlike their larger relatives, pygmy hippos are solitary and shy, and they have adapted to life in dense tropical forests.

Fossil records show that extinct species of hippopotamus once lived as far north as Europe and the Middle East during the Pleistocene epoch. These ancient populations disappeared after the last ice age.

Fun fact: Although not native to South America, a population of wild hippos now lives in Colombia - descendants of animals once kept by the drug lord Pablo Escobar. After his death in the 1990s, the hippos escaped into the wild and have since multiplied, becoming an invasive species in the Magdalena River basin.

Answer: dangerous

Despite their calm appearance, hippopotamuses are among the most dangerous animals in Africa. They are highly territorial, particularly in water, and can become aggressive if they feel threatened. They have been known to attack boats, vehicles and people who encroach on their territory, often without warning.

A male hippopotamus can weigh over 3,000 kilograms (over 6,500 lbs) and run at speeds of up to 19 mph (30 km/h) on land. With massive jaws that can open to 150 degrees and bite down with a force of over 1,800 pounds per square inch (psi), they are more than capable of fending off even crocodiles and lions.

Fun fact: Hippos are responsible for more human deaths in Africa each year than lions, elephants or any other large wild mammal - a reputation that often surprises those unfamiliar with their behaviour.

Answer: Their population is declining due to poaching and habitat loss.

The hippopotamus was added to the IUCN Red List in 2006, where it was classified as vulnerable. This means that it is at high risk of extinction in the wild. The main causes of this decline are illegal hunting for their meat and ivory (taken from their large canine teeth), as well as the loss of their freshwater habitats due to agriculture, dam construction and urban development.

One of the most dramatic population crashes occurred in Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the number of hippos dropped from an estimated 29,000 in the 1970s to fewer than 1,000 individuals by 2005. While some regions still have stable populations, the overall trend is negative.

Fun fact: Hippos are protected under international trade regulations (CITES Appendix II), but in some countries, tightly regulated trophy hunting is still permitted - a controversial practice aimed at generating revenue for conservation.

Answer: United States

Donna was born in July 1951 and lived at the Mesker Park Zoo in Evansville, Indiana, in the United States. She died in 2012 at the age of 61, making her one of the oldest hippos ever recorded. Her long life was made possible by high-quality veterinary care, a stable environment and careful management - conditions that allow captive hippos to far outlive their wild counterparts.

While hippos typically live for 30 to 40 years in the wild, in captivity they can live for over 50 years and occasionally even reach 60. Donna became a beloved zoo resident and a symbol of the potential for animal longevity under proper care.

Fun fact: Donna was so well known in her community that her 60th birthday was celebrated with watermelon "cake", media coverage and local fanfare.

Answer: herd

The most common and widely accepted term for a group of hippos is 'a herd'. These herds usually comprise 10 to 30 individuals, although larger groups have been observed. A dominant male controls access to the group's territory, while the rest of the group consists mostly of females and their calves. Males defend their territory aggressively against rivals, particularly during the dry season when water is scarce.

Other terms have also emerged over time. "Pod" is sometimes used, especially in zoological contexts, while "bloat" has gained popularity in popular culture and wildlife books due to its humorous connotations. However, it is not a scientific term.

Fun fact: Herd dynamics can be complex. Although hippos are social animals, they do not form strong pair bonds or family units. Calves often stay close to their mothers, but adult hippos mostly tolerate each other out of necessity rather than affection.