Hippopotamus Skull BC-037
$1350.00

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Hippopotamus were once common throughout all of sub-Saharan Africa but are now primarily restricted to the Nile River Valley of East Africa. They prefer moderately deep bodies of water with adjacent reed beds and plentiful grasslands. They average 11 feet in length, stand 5 feet tall at the shoulder and weigh from 3500 to 7000 pounds. They are gregarious by nature, often living in groups of up to 30 individuals. Strongly aquatic, a hippo's eyes, ears and nostrils are placed high on its skull, allowing them to remain submerged to protect their delicate skin from sunburn. Their skin also secretes a reddish-colored substance, which functions as a natural sunscreen. Once thought to be strictly vegetarian, it is now known that they will occasionally eat meat. Their diet consists primarily of grasses and other vegetation, eating over one hundred pounds per day. Adult males are highly territorial and use their enormous teeth as effective weapons to battle each other for dominance. Hippo teeth provide a source of ivory that is very hard but considered inferior to elephant ivory due to its smaller size and yellowish color.