Allow me to begin this post by stating that while hippos are incredibly aggressive and dangerous animals, I have this false hope that this simply isn’t the case because they’re just too darn cute.
I realize if I ever wound up face-to-face with a hippo, I would arguably have a change of heart. Until that happens, however, I’d like to maintain my ridiculous and absolutely false perception of these adorable critters.
Because I love hippos to the extent I do, I thought I would dedicate a post to them and share some interesting facts about them, and this information comes from www.natgeokids.com.
“1) Hippos are large semi-aquatic mammals, with a large barrel-shaped body, short legs, a short tail and an enormous head! They have greyish to muddy-brown skin, which fades to a pale pink colour underneath.
2) They are considered the second largest land animal on Earth (first place goes to the elephant!). Males measure around 3.5m long and 1.5m tall, and can weigh up 3,200kg. That’s as much as three small cars!
3) To stay cool in the blistering African heat, hippos spend most of their day in rivers and lakes. Their eyes, nose and ears are located on the top of their head, which means they can see and breathe whilst submerged in the water. What’s more, these super-cool creatures sweat an oily red liquid which helps protect their skin from drying out – and acts as a sunblock, too! Cool, huh?
4) These magnificent mammals were once found throughout all sub-saharan Africa. Sadly, populations have declined due to habitat loss and hunting. Today, they are largely confined to protected areas in East African countries.
5) Hippos are most active at night, when they forage for food. They are herbivores, and eat mostly grass – and boy do they eat grass! In just one night, they can guzzle down up to 35kg of their favourite grub!” the web page states.
Check back tomorrow for a continuation of this hippo highlight.
ontheedgeofeverything 
