Hippopotamus

Design

Hippos are very neighborly. They let birds perch on their heads and backs. These birds pick flies, ticks, and other pesky insects off the hippo. Fish also eat algae off the hippo’s skin. These actions keep the hippo healthy. Hippos were designed with the ability to excrete a liquid from their pores, which protects their skin from the sun and possible infection.

Features

• The hippo is known for its massive size.
• Its nostrils and eyes protrude from its head so that it can see and breathe while the rest of its body is submerged.

Fun Facts

• The hippo can open its mouth almost 150° wide.
• Because of its great size, a hippo can actually walk or run on the bottom of the river.
• The thick layer of blubber under the hippo’s skin helps it conserve body heat as it spends so much time in the water. It also makes it more buoyant.
• The hippo’s eyes, ears, and nostrils are in a line along the top of its head, allowing it to breathe, see, and hear things above the water while almost totally submerged.

Created Kind Members

Pygmy hippopotamus