Hippos | Hippopotamidae
Always in a bad mood, and loving water, Hippos of the family Hippopotamidae, are naked-skinned pig-like mammals with four toes per foot. The Hippopotamidae family only has two remaining living species: the common hippopotamus and the pygmy hippopotamus. Hippopotamids are herbivorous, grassing at night and remaining submerged in water during the day. Males are larger than females and are very territorial. Hippos prefer to be in groups when basking, but they enjoy their solitude when grazing.
It is funny how the hippo rarely appears in folklore and movies among scary animals, even with its bad rap of goring humans, overturning boats, and stomping out other animals. It is not only humans that are afraid of an adult hippo but even crocodiles. The hippo’s immense weight, tusk, aggressiveness, and unpredictable behavior make it unapproachable.
For an adult hippo, it is only five minutes that it can remain submerged without air and for a baby hippo, the maximum it can do is one minute. However, you will mostly see hippos in shallow areas in a lake or river where they can breathe freely. Besides, their large bodies enable them to walk on river beds, hence no need to hold their breath.
The goddess Taweret, whom the Egyptians believed to be the holder of fertility and rejuvenation, is portrayed as a hippo. Her head is that of a hippo, face and tail crocodile, limbs feline, and the hair is human. Her fierceness is represented as that of a mother protecting her young from harm, a character the hippo also possesses.
