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Can a hippopotamus swim

Updated: 10/9/2023
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14y ago

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Young hippos do swim, but older hippos generally propel themselves through water by thrusting against the bottom using their legs. This is because an adult hippo is not usually buoyant (doesn't float). So they must surface every few minutes to breathe, which they do automatically while sleeping. While hippos can travel in water at a top speed of maybe 5 miles per hour, they can run on land up to 25 miles per hour or even a little faster for short distances. Hippos can swim when they are young but when they are older they walk along the bottom of the river.

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15y ago
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14y ago

hippos could probly swim if they had to but most of the time they just float in shallow water

Adult hippos can't swim. This may seem odd since they do spend a lot of time in the water. They hold their breath well and are adapted in many ways for semiaquatic life. But they can't swim. In fact adult hippos can't even float, probably because they're too dense, and although they look fat, their percentage of fat is low.

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12y ago

That's a dumb question. No.

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Q: Can a hippopotamus swim
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Is a hamster a rodent?

No, a Hippopotamus is a mammal, it gives birth to live young. A hippopotamus is not classified as a marsupial.


Where is hippopotamus is from?

=there are two kinds of hippopotamus such as the river hippopotamus and the pygmy hippopotamus but both live in Africa.=


Where is the hippopotamus from?

=there are two kinds of hippopotamus such as the river hippopotamus and the pygmy hippopotamus but both live in africa.=


What types of hippos are their?

pygmy hippopotamus Madagascan pygmy hippopotamus river hippopotamus


What is the scientific name for hippopotamus?

The scientific name of the river hippopotamus is Hippopotamus amphibius.


What is an adult hippopotamus called?

A Hippopotamus


What is the spanish word for hippopotamus?

hippopotamus


What are the three types of hippos?

pygmy hippopotamus Madagascan pygmy hippopotamus river/hippopotamus


What is the scientific name for river hippopotamus?

The scientific name of the river hippopotamus is Hippopotamus amphibius.


Were do hippopotamus's live?

The hippopotamus lives in Africa


What do you call hippopotamus in America?

We say hippopotamus.


When was The Hippopotamus created?

The Hippopotamus was created in 1994.