THE HIPPOPOTAMUS

The hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) is a large, powerfully thick-skinned and enormously heavy animal, confined to the African continent. The neck is short and the head large and rectangular. The strong incisors and canines continue to grow throughout life, and enable the animal to dig up the plants growing on the banks of rivers. The animal grows to an incredible length of about fourteen feet. The limbs and tail are short. It is mostly aquatic in its habits, and when it reaches the surface of the water after prolonged immersion, it spouts like a whale. The hippopotamus not only swims but it can walk along the bottom of a river with great rapidity. Sometimes it secretes a “bloody sweat” a carmine coloured secretion containing crystals, but of course, it has nothing to do with blood.