Under the warm African sun, grasslands and forests are intertwined, rivers meander among them, and the leisurely floating figures look lazy and charming under the scorching sun.
This is a very special animal, its appearance is cute, large, docile by nature, it is the freshwater giant of Africa - hippopotamus.
However, don't think that hippos really have just a silly appearance, their status in Africa's ecosystem should not be underestimated.
Today, let's talk about this "herbivore" that looks silly on the outside, but is actually not inferior to lions.
Is there really only a lion in the king of the steppe?
What is the responsibility of the hippopotamus secretly?
"Wow, such a big animal is in Africa!"
"What is this pig-like animal called?"
"Hippopotamus?"
"Oh, a mix of a pig and a horse?"
"Hahaha."
In fact, hippos are very common animals in Africa, also known as hippos, are amphibians with thick limbs, a wide body, and a special cylindrical shape on the torso.
Adult hippos are about 2-5 meters long and weigh between 1300-3200 kilograms.
With the exception of the rare white rhino, hippos are the largest mammals in freshwater, and it's fair to say that these giant beasts are bulky, but they are comfortable in the water.
Because of this, it is only in the water that the hippopotamus can surface and "breathe" by relying on the breath of the nostrils.
And in the water, weight and body shape are reduced, and the flowing water can also take away some of the body weight.
The hippopotamus has a very loud voice, sounding like a mixture of guttural and roaring sounds.
This sound is a special "dialect" used by hippos when communicating, and it looks very cute and cute!
At the same time, hippos also have some very specific physiological characteristics.
For example, their skin is hairless, which makes hippos prone to sunburn, just like we don't wear sunscreen.
However, hippos are not bothered by this, as they secrete a liquid that acts like a natural sunscreen that prevents the skin from getting sunburned.
This liquid is called hippocampal acid.
Whenever a hippopotamus is exposed to the sun, this acid slowly oozes out, forming a protective film on the hippopotamus' skin.
In the eyes of many, the lion is the apex predator of the steppe, not only elegant and noble, but also top-notch hunting skills.
However, there is some truth to this perception, after all, lions are really good at hunting.
But you know what?
In Africa, there is one animal that is more powerful than lions, and that is the hippopotamus.
Hippos are actually very shy, and they usually live in pairs.
However, hippos will attack others, often because they sense threatened.
For example, when a hippopotamus's territory is encroached upon, especially when there are baby hippos, the hippopotamus will fall into a sense of crisis.
Once attacked, they will launch a counterattack, overturning the attacker like a tank, leaving them powerless to fight back.
So, hippos don't get angry casually!
In Africa, hippos are very powerful in attack, their bite force is up to 826 kilograms, which is enough to knock over lions, so lions hardly attack hippos.
Hippos play an important role in Africa's ecosystem.
Although they appear to be docile herbivores, they are actually very capable of attacking.
The male hippopotamus will declare his territory by roaring, and if he dares to invade his territory, the hippopotamus will overturn the opponent like a tank.
Even lions, when they attack hippos, they tend to do so in groups.
The time and energy required to hunt a large hippopotamus are very large, so lions rarely do so.
In the lion's view, the hippopotamus is a very difficult bone to gnaw, which not only consumes a lot of time and energy, but also has a very high risk.
If you don't believe me, you can take a look at the variety show "Lion Hunting" filmed in the wild.
When watching, you will definitely find that most of the lions target small animals such as small antelopes and small zebras, while large animals such as hippos usually choose to take a detour.
Because they know that getting into such a "big trouble" must be more painful than worth the loss.
Even the very ferocious crocodile, often regarded as a "killer" of carnivores, appears helpless when encountering hippos.
In Africa's rivers, hippos and crocodiles are regulars, but they can live in harmony.
It's hard to imagine how there isn't a spark between the giant hippopotamus and the crocodile.
In fact, the key lies in the difference in body size between the two.
Despite the fact that crocodiles are truly "carnivores", they are known as "carnivore killers" and their skills in hunting in the water are top-notch.
However, when they encounter a giant hippopotamus, they are reduced to invincible food.
In fact, crocodiles do not actively attack adult hippos.
Because the adult hippopotamus is too large to be dragged into the water by a crocodile like a baby hippopotamus.
And even if there are baby hippos, the adult hippos will be escorted by the side.
In this case, the crocodile eventually becomes a "cohabiting animal" or "neighbor" of the hippopotamus, and lives together in harmony.
However, many people may wonder, is it just that crocodiles keep swallowing their anger?
It has to be said that crocodiles are also animals that are intelligent for survival.
Juvenile crocodiles stay away from the giant hippos to avoid conflict.
When they reach a certain size, they choose to hunt on aquatic plants and plants at the edge of rivers, just like hippos.
That way, they won't eat hippos anymore.
So it can be said that only baby hippos will be eaten, but the parents of baby hippos will not let them be eaten!
Therefore, no one should underestimate this huge "herbivore", its combat ability and practicality are very powerful.
Hippos also play an important role in Africa's ecosystems.
"Herbivorous" also has the value of "herbivore".
What is the value of human "herbivores"?
Nowadays, only African elephants can subdue hippos in the African savannah, after all, there must be a "leader" among the beasts.
If you don't believe me, let's try it with African elephants!
