Pool with hippos
| Title | Info |
|---|---|
| Source | Dan L. Perlman |
| Ecosystems | Wetlands, aquatic |
| Wetlands and aquatic | Lakes, ponds |
| Organisms | Animals |
| Animals | Mammals |
| Date | 2003 |
| Location | Ngorongoro Crater,Tanzania,Africa |
Hippopotamus-filled pond, Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania. During the middle of the dry season, when this photograph was taken, any permanent body of water is critical for large animals, especially for the hippopotamus, which spends virtually all the daylight hours at least partially submerged. At night, they leave the water to forage in pasture for several hours. These are very large animals, as a large male can weigh up to 3.5 tons (3000 kg), and they will eat nearly 90 lb (40 kg) of grass in a night. Despite their bulk, they can reach speeds as high as 18 mph (30 kph). This image was taken in Ngorongoro Crater, an extinct volcano crater some 100 square mi (250 square km) in area, with a 2,000 ft (600 m) wall around it; the crater wall can be seen rising in the distance.
