Species MammalsCommon Hippopotamus

Common Hippopotamus

Hippopotamus amphibius

CommonMammal
Illustration of Common Hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius)
Safety note: Handle with caution; they are very territorial and can be aggressive.

The Common Hippopotamus is a large, mostly herbivorous mammal with a barrel-shaped body and large mouth. They are known to spend much of their time submerged in water to keep cool.

Habitat
Rivers, lakes, and swamps in sub-Saharan Africa.
Diet
Herbivorous, primarily grazing on grasses at night.
How common
Common

Not certain it is a Common Hippopotamus? What animal is this? walks through what to check first and the lookalikes that catch people out.

Recent Common Hippopotamus sightings near you

Live, research-grade observations from iNaturalist. Allow location to center the map on you.

Spot a Common Hippopotamus? Identify it instantly.

Point Huck at any plant, bird, or animal for an instant ID, its rarity, and a live map of where it is being seen near you.

Get Huck

Get an alert when a Common Hippopotamus is spotted

Pick a park, state, or city and we’ll email you when one turns up there. One check a day, only when there’s something new.

Free. Unsubscribe from any email. See our Privacy Policy.

Love mammals? Get Huck field notes

Spotting tips, new species, and the best of what people are finding in the wild - straight to your inbox.

By subscribing you agree to receive Huck emails. No spam, unsubscribe anytime. See our Privacy Policy.

More mammals

Common Muskrat
Common Muskrat
Ondatra zibethicus
Common Opossum
Common Opossum
Didelphis marsupialis
Common Squirrel Monkey
Common Squirrel Monkey
Saimiri sciureus
Common tent-making Bat
Common tent-making Bat
Uroderma bilobatum
Common Vampire Bat
Common Vampire Bat
Desmodus rotundus
Common Warthog
Common Warthog
Phacochoerus africanus
Common Wildebeest
Common Wildebeest
Connochaetes taurinus
Coruro
Coruro
Spalacopus cyanus