DIsney Facts: A hippo's life at Animal Kingdom

When you enter the underwater hippopotamus viewing area along the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail in the Animal Kingdom you have the opportunity to see a hippo.

Here are some Hippo Facts: 

• The ancient Greeks named the big, barrel-shaped animal they saw in Africa hippopotamus from the Greek words hippos, meaning "horse" and potamos, meaning "river."
• The animals have four toe.
• They normally spend their time walking alone the bottoms of riverbeds and spend the day resting in the water.
• They are the fourth largest mammals by weight in the works. Only whales, elephants and rhinoceroses weigh more.
• The average adult weighs between 3,300 and 4,000 pounds and is 15 feet long.
• Their skin has a thin epidermis that is protected by a red secretion that acts like sunscreen.

Sources: New World Encyclopedia, Disney Parks Blog, Merriam-Webster Dictionary


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