Hippopotamuses: Hippopotamidae

Hippos live throughout Africa.

Common hippos like deep freshwater locations during the day, but venture out of the water at night to graze. The pygmy hippo lives in the forest and spends its day near or in water. Water is important to the hippo because if it can't submerge itself, its skin will crack from dehydration and overheating.

Hippos are vegetarians and eat mainly grasses, though the pygmy hippo also feeds on fruits and ferns. All hippos eat by nipping off the vegetation with their powerful lips. They eat about 88 pounds (40 kilograms) of grasses each night.

The pygmy hippo is listed as Vulnerable, facing a high risk of extinction, dying out, by the IUCN, and two other species are Extinct. The common hippo has a healthy population, but is vulnerable to extinction in West Africa. The primary threat to hippos is loss of habitat.