Hippos or hippopotamus, translated into ancient greek as “horse of the river”, is a mostly herbivorous, semi-aquatic mammal that is closely related to the cetacean family of whales, dolphins and porpoise than it is to camels, pigs and other even toed ungulates it closely resembles in external morphology.
A disturbingly odd identity you might presume, but everything written up there is true: including the part where hippos are called the horses of the rivers; we don’t know for sure which river that is, but we suspect it’s a river flowing elegantly somewhere in Africa.
The hippo is the third largest living land mammal on earth only succeeded by some species of rhinoceros (at second place) and the unshakable majesty of the african elephants (in first place).
The hippo is also the heaviest extant species of all even toed ungulates: the family that comprises of cattle, camels, giraffes and puffy pigs to mention a few.
In this article, we’ll be discussing the range masses of the different species that hippos are spread into.
We’re also going to be discussing the weight of newly born hippos and also the average weight of a hippos head.
The two species of hippopotamus
Two species of hippopotamus are extant in the world today, they include:
- The hippopotamus, also known as the common hippopotamus or river hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius)
- Pygmy hippopotamus (Choeropsis liberiensis or Hexaprotodon liberiensis)
These two species vary greatly in external size morphology, but they also have significant differences in their behaviors and geographical range.
- The average weight of hippopotamus or the common hippopotamus is 1200 kg; 2645 lb; 1.3 tons.
- The average weight of pygmy hippopotamus is 220 kg; 485 lb; 0.2 tons.
Below is a more detailed break down of the weight of the two species that hippopotamus are spread into.
How much do hippos weigh in kg, pound and ton?
Hippopotamus or the common hippo, is a naked skinned, semi-aquatic ungulate mammal native to sub-saharan africa.
They occur in rivers throughout the savanna africa and the main rivers of central africa. They usually inhabit shallow lakes, rivers and swamps that are about 2 meters deep.
The common hippopotamus is the largest of the two species of hippos by a wide margin. About five different subspecies of this specie of hippo has been described or rather proposed based on morphological differences in skulls and their geographical distributions, but the acceptance of this distinction by the scientific community is still vauge.
The difference in weigh and body length in the different subspecies seem to be highly insignificant.
The subspecies include:
- Great northern Hippopotamus or Nile Hippopotamus (H. a. amphibius)
- East African Hippopotamus (H. a. kiboko)
- Cape Hippopotamus or South African Hippopotamus (H. a. capensis)
- West African Hippopotamus or Tchad hippopotamus (H. a. tschadensis)
- Angola hippopotamus (H. a. constrictus)
Now, back to the weight.
Bulls:
- Male hippopotamus weigh between 950 kg to 3200 kg.
- In pounds, male hippopotamus weigh between 2094 lb to 7055 lb.
- In tons, male hippopotamus weigh between 1.1 tons to 3.5 tons.
- Captive species are usually bigger and are known to clock over 4000 kg; 8818 lb; 4.4 tons in raw weigh.
- Male hippos are usually 200 kg larger than their female counterparts when they mature, and sometimes even reach several thousand kg larger than them years after maturity (7.5 years).
- Male hippos appear to continue to grow steadily in size and weight throughout their lifetime.
Cows:
- Female hippopotamus weigh between 950 kg to 2000 kg.
- In pounds, female hippopotamus weigh between 2094 lb to 4409 lb.
- In tons, female hippopotamus weigh between 1.1 ton to 2.2 ton.
- Female hippos usually stop adding weight and size at the age of 25 years.
Average:
- The average weight of a male hippopotamus is 1500 kg; 3,310 pound; 1.7 ton.
- The average weight of a female hippopotamus is 1300 kg; 2,870 pound; 1.4 ton.
- The average weight of a common hippopotamus is 1000 kg; 2204 pound; 1.1 tons.
Overall:
- The total range mass of the common hippopotamus is between 950 to 3200 kg.
- In pounds, the total range mass of hippopotamus is 2094 to 7055 pounds.
- In tons, total range mass of hippopotamus 1.1 to 3.5 tons.
Note:
- Hippos forage mainly at dusk, resting in the waters during the day time to cool off.
- Hippos eat an average of 40 kg of grass per night (despite their enormous size), and some species can even eat up 68 kg (150 lb) grass daily.
How much does a pygmy hippo weigh in kg, pounds and tons?
Pygmy hippos as the name suggest are the mini versions of their larger relatives. They are somewhat similar to their ‘common’ relatives in their overall impression but have many differences when inspected closely and investigated deeply. Pygmy hippopotamus generally weigh less than 1/4 the weigh of the common hippopotamus.
Pygmy hippos have ranges than span across West Africa: primarily in liberia with small populations in Ivory Coast, Guinea and Sierra Leone. They are semi-aquatic just like their cousins, but dwell more on land compared to them. They inhabit the forests and swampy regions located within their range.
The pygmy species of hippopotamus is also split in to two morphologically identical subspecies which include:
- Hexaprotodon liberiensis liberiensis
- Hexaprotodon liberiensis heslopi
Now, back to their weight.
Bulls:
- Male pygmy hippopotamus weigh between 180 kg to 280 kg.
- In pounds, male pygmy hippopotamus weigh between 379 pounds to 617 poubds.
- In tons, male pygmy hippopotamus weigh between 0.2 tons to 0.31 tons.
Cows:
- Female pygmy hippopotamus weigh between 160 kg to 240 kg.
- In pounds, female pygmy hippopotamus weigh between 353 pounds to 529 pounds.
- In tons, female pygmy hippopotamus weigh between 0.18 tons to 0.26 tons.
Average:
- The average weight of a male pygmy hippopotamus is 240 kg; 529 pounds; 0.26 tons.
- The average weight of a female pygmy hippopotamus is 180 kg ; 397 pounds; 0.20 tons.
- The average weight of a pygmy hippopotamus is 200 kg; 441 pounds; 0.22 tons.
Overall:
- The total range mass of hippopotamus is between 160 kg to 280 kg.
- In pounds, the total range mass of hippopotamus is 353 pounds to 617 pounds.
- In tons, total range mass of 0.18 tons to 0.31 tons.
How much do baby hippos weigh?
Baby hippos or rather calfs, are born small to medium sized and super vulnerable to lion, nile crocodile and heyena predation.
Newborn of a common hippopotamus
- Baby hippopotamus weigh between 25 to 50 kg at birth; 55 lb to 110 lb.
- Male calves weigh between 40 to 50 kg while female calves weigh between 25 to 40 kg.
- Baby hippos are usually weaned after about one year of suckling.
Newborn of a pygmy hippopotamus
- Baby pygmy hippopotamus weigh between 4.5 to 6.4 kg at birth; 9.9 lb to 14.1 lb.
- Male calfs weigh between 5 kg to 6.4 kg while female calfs weigh between 4.5 to 5.5 kg.
- Baby pygmy hippopotamus are usually weaned after one year of suckling.
Average weight of baby hippopotamus
- The average weight of a newborn baby hippopotamus is 40 kg; 88 lb; 0.04 tons; comparatively more heavier than the average human baby at (2.5kg).
Average weight of pygmy baby hippopotamus.
- The average weight of a newborn pygmy hippopotamus is 4.5 kg; 9.9 lb; still heavier than the average human baby at (2.5 kg).
How much does a hippo’s head weigh?
A hippo’s head can weigh up to 300 kg or more depending on species. Within the perimeters of their mouth, hippos can have between 36 to 40 teeth: because they can retain their deciduous teeth for several years after maturity, which include a canine, three premolars, two incisors, and three molars on each side of the jaws.
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Cite this Article ” (APA Format)
Bunu. M. (2020, July 18). Hippo Weight: How much do hippos weigh?. Retrieved from http://emborawild.com/how-much-do-hippos-weigh/