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Why are hippos so mean? |
The hippopotamus has a reputation of being the most dangerous animal in all of Africa, which is surprising considering they're both herbivores (plant eaters) and, well, not very scary looking. But trust us — hippos are not an animal you want angry at you. Not only are they disarmingly fast, being able to reach top speeds of 30 miles per hour when running, but they seem to be unafraid of humans and, in the past, have knocked over boats without provacation!
So why are hippos so mean? Experts think it stems from them being incredibly possessive, both of their land and their families. Male hippos will regularly duke it out over mates or territory, while a female will not hesitate to knock some sense into her mate if she feels that he is threatening her young. This quick temper means that the hippos will fight any and everybody who annoys them, which is why, if you see one coming, you should run the other way!
Did you know that the hippo's closest “relatives” are actually whales and porpoises? Their common ancestor evolved millions of years ago to adapt to feeding on land, becoming the hippos we know today, though they still spend the majority of their lives in the water.