App: 7.8cms long Interesting facts: - Weight: 1000 - 3000 kg - Size: 4.5 m - Life expectancy: 30 - 40 years - Distribution: Africa - Colour: greyish brown During the day the hippopotamus prefers to lie in shallow water and enjoy the sun. It dives so deep that just its ears, eyes and nostrils stay out of the water. Hippos have a large, plump body and short legs. They remain in the water most of the time. Because they are so heavy, they sink and can walk on the bottom. They can close their nostrils with a particular muscle and hold their breath for up to five minutes. Hippos are purely herbivores. Since they only eat plants they need to graze every night for 5 or 6 hours in order to have enough food. Baby hippos are born in the water and can immediately swim and walk. The babies are also nursed in the water. A baby weighs 50 kg.