Points

15

per confirmed sighting

MammalConservation status: VulnerableCommon to spot
mammals • Hippopotamidae

Common Hippopotamus.

C

Hippopotamus amphibius

A semi-aquatic heavyweight that rests in water by day and grazes on land at night.

Category

mammals

Family

Hippopotamidae

Size

1.5 m at shoulder, 1 300–2 000 kg

Points

15 pts

Log a sighting

A closer look

Field notes for spotting, identifying and understanding common hippopotamus in its natural range.

Overview

A semi-aquatic heavyweight that rests in water by day and grazes on land at night.

How to identify it

Barrel body, huge head, eyes and nostrils set high for floating.

Habitat

EltonTraits foraging-stratum classification: ground-dwelling/terrestrial (including aquatic ground-associated coding).

Diet

Grasses grazed at night

Behaviour

—

When to look

EltonTraits activity classification: nocturnal.

Where to see it

South Africa flagSouth AfricaNamibia flagNamibiaBotswana flagBotswanaZimbabwe flagZimbabweZambia flagZambiaMozambique flagMozambiqueEswatini flagEswatiniMalawi flagMalawiAngola flagAngola
  • Kruger National ParkZA
  • Okavango DeltaBW
  • South Luangwa National ParkZM
  • Liwonde National ParkMW

Safety and etiquette

Responsible for more human fatalities than most large mammals. Never block a hippo's route back to water.

Verification and sources

1500 verified species across ten Southern African countries. Spotted an error? Tell us through community guidelines.