What do Hippos Eat

If you are one of those people who were not aware of the fact that hippos are herbivores, the article... 'What do hippos eat'... will give you the details of the same. Continue reading, for more information about the dietary habits of this animal.
Many people tend to get surprised when they realize that the fierce looking hippopotamus are actually herbivorous in nature. In fact, the hippo is one of the largest animal in the herbivore animals list. Several interesting facts about this animal species continues to elude people, and the dietary habit of these creatures is just one of them. Before we move on to what do hippos eat, let's get some more information about this animal.Hippopotamus: General InformationHippopotamus is a herbivorous mammal native to the continent of Africa. It is generally found in the rivers and lakes of the grassland regions of West Africa and East Central Africa. Hippos are the second largest mammals on the land, next only to the elephants. Standing 5 ft tall and 11 to 17 ft long, an adult hippo can weigh anywhere between 3,000 to 4,000 lbs. Being semi-aquatic animals, they tend to spend most of the time of the day lazing in the water bodies, and come out for feeding only after dusk. Their large size also contributes to their abnormal appetite. Those who know what do hippos eat must be well versed with the voracious eating habits of these creatures. On an average, the lifespan for a hippopotamus ranges between 40 to 50 years, though several individuals are known to make it to 55 with ease. Even though the hippos may generally appear to be quite lazy and docile, these creatures are known to be very aggressive towards humans beings.What does a Hippo Eat?The hippopotamus feeds on a wide variety of vegetation, that grows in Sub-Saharan Africa. Their diet predominantly consists of grass, but they are also known to feed on fruits, leaves, nuts etc. Being semi-aquatic, these creatures also feed on several aquatic plants and reeds that are found in their natural habitat. Though rarely, hippos are also known to feed on small animals and animal carcasses. Hippos prefer spending time lazing in the water or basking on the banks of the river throughout the day. They have the amazing ability of holding their breath and staying under the water for extended periods. It is during this time that they resort to aquatic plants and reeds. They move out of water only during the night time in order to search for food. This is where their voracious feeding habit comes into the picture, as a herd of hippos eats a hundred lbs of vegetation in one go. On an average, they graze for four to five hours every night, and cover approximately a mile or two in this while. Though they prefer to stay close to the water holes, hippos are known to wander as far as six miles from the water hole in search of food.This was brief information about what do hippos eat, along with a passing reference to the general information about this animal species. Found all over Africa at one point of time, the hippo population has been restricted to a few regions in East Africa as of today. The drastic fall in hippopotamus population can be attributed to the large scale hunting and loss of habitat. Hippos have lately featured on the poacher's radar owing to their soft ivory tusks. Human encroachment in their natural habitat has resulted in loss of habitat for these creatures. More importantly, they are also killed for the meat by the locals in this region. This large scale hunting has depleted the number of hippos in this region to a great extent, owing to which this animal has been included in the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) list of vulnerable species.