河马是什么动物
偶蹄目、河马科，英文名hoppopotamus，拉丁学名：Hippopotamus amphibius。原来遍布非洲所有深水的河流与溪流中，现在范围已缩小，主要居住在非洲热带的河流间。它们喜欢栖息在河流附近沼泽地和有芦苇的地方。生活中的觅食、交配、产仔、哺乳也均在水中进行。
寿命：20 - 40 年。
分布
坦桑尼亚、赤道南北的湖沼中和中非、东非。
阿鲁沙国家公园
马尼亚拉湖国家公园
米库米国家公园
非洲政府组织自然保护区
鲁阿哈国家公园
寻找难度
找到它们不难，但要他们浮上来让你拍照却不易。
栖地
水池、泥沼。
食物
河马最多可一天吃 130kg 的短草，食量极大，偶食陆地作物。
繁殖
雄性在 4 - 11 岁、雌性在 7 - 15 岁开始，身体便成熟可以交配。河马会在水中交配，顺利的话，经过过 225 至 257 日母河马便会肚子寻找一处隐蔽地点，诞下一头小河马，小河马出生后几分钟便懂得在水中畅泳。
生活习性
河马素好群居，性温和，不受挑战和激怒，很少有攻击人的行为。 善游泳，怕冷，喜温暖的气候。它们的皮肤长时间离水会干裂，而生活中的觅食、交配、产仔、哺乳也均在水中进行。河马的潜水本领极高，能泡在水中数小时或数日，常常潜伏在水中，每隔3－5分钟到水面呼吸一次，最长能潜伏半小时。
生存威胁
小河马有时会成为狮子或鳄鱼的佳肴，但更多小河马是死于成年河马争执时的牺牲者。成年河马已没有其他动物敢动它们分毫了。
同类动物
侏儒河马 (Pygmy Hippopotamus, Choeropsis liberiensis) 是它们的同科远亲。
真难想像有一种动物可以有这么多丑态。河马身肥样丑，肥胖的身躯没有一根毛，也没有汗腺，却会分泌出一种红色的黏性液体，保护皮肤免受脱水干裂。河马走路时不单边走边排下大小便，还唯恐不够脏，用它的尾巴把粪便泼向四周。在同类争执中，河马有时更会把粪便当作暗器泼向对方。不过河马不雅的排便行为其实对生态很有裨益。
河马在非洲是公认的高度危险动物。河马脾气暴躁，据说如有动物刚巧站在河马返回水池的路时，河马会在事前毫无警告下，张开它的血盆大口，用它那对 40cm 长的犬牙把这不幸的动物咬开两截。据说亦试过有游客在河中泛舟时，被水中河马袭击。
河马可以整个日间浸在水中，只露出鼻孔和眼睛在水面。河马可以闭气潜水六分钟，在水中它们仍然是用腿走路。河马会在傍晚时分上岸吃草，有时会走到五公里之外的地方。
河马是群居动物，由 10 - 20 头河马组成。河马很讲究地盘势力，会对入侵领土的河马展开大厮杀，打得兴起时就连附近的小河马也无暇理会，被咬死踩死并不为奇。
雌河马和它们的孩子一起生活在群体里，通常都呆在河中间凸起的浅滩上，几只雄河马在河马群周围独自生活，没有得到雌河马的允许，是不准靠近河马群的。小河马出生时大约长90厘米。河马妈妈带着孩子来到陆地上，且要它们呆在她的身边。如果谁不听话，她就用头撞它。在动物世界里，像这样有意识的教育是很罕见的。
怎么样用英文来介绍河马
难度高些的
Groups of hippos are led by one large male. The other members are females, their young, and a few young adult males. The leader of the group keeps control of his mating territory by fighting off rivals. The family group of hippos spends most of the day in the water. Staying submerged helps a hippo stay cool in the hot, tropical climate where it lives.
The hippo's nose, ears, and eyes are on the top of its head, and they protrude from the water while the rest of its head and its body lie beneath the surface. That way a hippo can breathe, see, and hear even while its body is submerged. When a hippo sinks completely underwater, its nose and ears automatically close so that no water seeps in. Hippos are excellent swimmers and can hold their breath for about five minutes. They can even walk along the bottoms of rivers and lakes.
At dusk, hippos leave their watery daytime spot, lumber onto land, and walk as far as 5 miles (8 kilometers) from the water to graze on short grasses, their main food. They are not considered to be very fast moving animals, but in short bursts they can run up to 30 miles (48 kilometers) per hour!
Grazing until dawn, a hippo may eat up to 150 pounds (68 kilograms) of grass a night. They avoid the heat of the sun by returning to a river or lake before sunrise.
简单的
The name hippopotamus means ‘river horse’ and is often shortened to hippo.The hippopotamus is generally considered the third largest land mammal (after the White rhinoceros and elephant).
Hippopotamuses spend a large amount of time in water such as rivers, lakes and swamps.Resting in water helps keep hippopotamuses temperature down.
Hippopotamuses give birth in water.Hippopotamuses have short legs, a huge mouth and a body shaped like a barrel.Hippos can be extremely aggressive, especially if they feel threatened.They are regarded as one of the most dangerous animals in Africa.
Hippos are threatened by habitat loss and poachers who hunt them for their meat and teeth.A male hippopotamus is called a ‘bull’.A female hippopotamus is called a ‘cow’.
A baby hippo is called a ‘calf’.A group of hippos in known as a ‘herd’, ‘pod’, ‘dale’ or ‘bloat’.
Hippos typically live for around 45 years.Hippos eat mostly grass.
