[/spoiler]SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION
COMMON NAME: hippopotamus, hippo
KINGDOM: Animalia
PHYLUM: Chordata
CLASS: Mammalia
ORDER: Artiodactyla
FAMILY: Hippopotamidae
GENUS SPECIES: Hippopotamus (horse, a river) amphibius (on both sides, living)
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FAST FACTS
DESCRIPTION: Huge gray bulky body with a large head. Its facial features somewhat resemble those of a pig.
SIZE: 3.96-4.57 m. (13-15 ft.) long; 1.52 m. (5 ft.) high at the shoulder
WEIGHT: 1,800-3,600 kg (4,000-8,000 lb.)
DIET: Herbivores, prefer short grasses of the African plains
GESTATION: 8 months
SEXUAL MATURITY:
MALE At 7 yrs.
FEMALE At 9 yrs.
LIFE SPAN: 20-40 years; 50 years in captivity
RANGE: West and East Central Africa; extinct in northern and southern parts of original range
HABITAT: Rivers and lakes in grasslands; found mainly in large populations on preserves
POPULATION: GLOBAL No data
STATUS: IUCN Not listed
CITES Appendix II
USFWS Not listed
FUN FACTS
1. Hippos were once thought to sweat blood. Actually, hippos secrete a pinkish colored oil that helps them keep their skin moist in the hot African climate.
2. Hippos spend most of their days in the water or wallowing in the mud, generally coming up on land to feed at night.
3. Hippos are efficient grazers - their lips are almost 70 cm. or about two feet wide!
4. Baby hippos swim the moment they are born because they are born underwater. And female hippos will actually baby-sit a group of other female's babies.
[spoiler=More hippo facts]
[/spoiler]Okay, above you have some fun facts about hippos. Based on those, I came up with some lame jokes about the possible reasons why [player]thehippo8[/player] has retired from the Media team. I'm sure you're capable of much greater creativity than I, so here is the challenge:
The "Why did the hippo leave us? [contest]" contest.
Write a brief story (between 1 and 5 paragraphs) about why the hippo left us. Make it funnier than any of my lame poll options. PM it to me ([player]Dukasaur[/player]) in the next 8 days. NOTA BENE: This means the contest closes at noon on June 25th. I'll put together a group of judges who will eveluate your comedic talent.
I must receive at least 5 entries or I will have to cancel this contest. Assuming I get 5 or more, I'll pass them through the judges panel. The top 3 entries will be published in Issue 98 of the Dispatch, and get a free entry into the next Conquer Cup. The very best will be awarded a GA medal as "Funniest Hippo Dispatcher."




