Scientific name -- Hippopotamus amphibius
Size -- 8000 lbs., 15' long
Diet -- grass

Hippopotami spend most of the daylight lounging in water in large groups. At night they venture out of the water to graze alone. They are sluggish on land, but can still reach speeds of 30 miles per hour. In the water, they are graceful and display several adaptations for their mostly aquatic existence, including ears and nostrils that can close and a skin excretion that acts as sunscreen.

Hippos are large animals with large teeth and are aggressive toward humans. Even in modern times, only the mosquito kills more humans each year than hippos.

Hippos were sacred to ancient Egyptians. The fertility goddess Tauret was depicted as a bipedal hippo.