WORLD HIPPO DAY!

WORLD HIPPO DAY!

Happy World Hippo Day! Of course there has to be a day to celebrate these gregarious animals!

Today we’ll be talking about the big hippos, tomorrow we’ll be meeting the pygmy hippo and Wednesday we have a hippo sock puppet craft for you! YAY!

Hippo Fun Facts:

• Hippopotamuses are large mammals who spend most of their day in rivers in Africa.
• Hippos are herbivores. They eat grasses and leaves.
• They can grow up to 13 feet long and weigh up to 8,000 pounds.
• The name hippopotamus means “river horse” in Greek! They however are not related to horses though.
• A hippopotamus’s closest relative is a whale! That’s what we said- they are related to whales!
• Hippo ears, eyes and nostrils are located on top of their of heads so they can keep their bodies submerged in water while still being able to see and hear and breathe.
• Hippos secrete an reddish oily substance when they are on shore. This substance protects the hippo from sun and keeps their skin moist!
• Hippos don’t actually swim, they “walk” in the water.
• These giants are not gentle. Hippos can be very territorial and aggressive.
• Hippos have large canine and incisor teeth! They can grow up to 20 inches!
• A group of hippos is called a bloat!
• They are very social animals. Hippos are also very vocal and use a variety of sounds, including ones that can make the ground shake.
• On land, these not so graceful looking animals can reach speeds of up to 20 miles per hour.

Hip Hip Hooray for Hippos! We love hippopotamuses! They may be grumpy but they are one of our favorites!