Hippo and hippopotamus: differences and similarities of these mammals

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:41

If someone is interested in who the hippopotamus and hippopotamus are, the differences between them, then you should read the publication proposed here. We will try to cover in detail all the questions regarding these interesting mammals.

Common hippo and hippo - differences

Don't lead the reader by the nose for a long time, torturing him with omissions. If the question concerns an animal called an ordinary hippopotamus, then it is worth noting that it belongs to the Behemoth family, which also has a Latin name - Hippopotamidae. If you try to read this word, everyone will understand why this animal can have two names.

In other words, this mammal is equally suitable name and "behemoth" and "hippo". There is no difference between the animals they name. Just one word is the species name of a mammal, and the second is broader in meaning. It indicates the family that the species belongs to. In this case, "behemoth" and "hippo" are the same thing.

Etymology of these words

So, we came to the conclusion that the definitions "common hippopotamus", "hippopotamus" are synonyms, but derived from the roots of words from different languages.

The first name came to us from Hebrew. It means "beast" in translation. But the second word - "hippopotamus" - is Latin. Moreover, in Latin it came from the Greek language. It is from the "hippo" that the international scientific name of these mammals originated. It literally means "river horse".

Thus, there are differences between the words "behemoth" and "hippo". Just to find them, you need to look into the etymological dictionary.

Pygmy and common hippos - different species and different families

Earlier, these two species were assigned to the same genus. In scientific circles, he was called Hippopotamus, that is, "hippo". Apparently, then these words appeared in the dictionaries of synonyms in the same row.

But more recently it has been established that there are big differences between these species. And therefore, for the pygmy hippopotamus, they isolated it in a separate genus, which is called Hexaprotodon, after the name of extinct hippos.

So the answer to the question of what is the difference between a hippopotamus and a hippopotamus can serve as a pun. It is in it that the main semantic features of these two words are revealed. "Every hippo is a hippo, but not every hippo is a hippo."

Who is the ancestor of hippos?

It just so happened that hippos and pigs began to countclosest relatives. And this opinion prevailed for many years. But it turns out that hippos are closer not to pigs and wild boars, but … whales! Although so far this is only the assumption of scientists. And not everyone in the world of science accepts this statement as true.

According to the modern version, about fifty million years ago, there was a kind of animal on Earth, in size close to the current raccoon, which was given the name - indochius. Subsequently, thanks to evolution, his descendants were divided into two branches. Whales came from one and hippos came from the other.

Today, there are only two species of these mammals left on the planet. These are common and pygmy hippos. They both live on only one continent - in Africa.

Differences between pygmy hippos and ordinary hippos

These mammals are very similar in appearance. Pygmy hippos seem to be smaller copies of ordinary ones. However, they are different animals. And answering the question, what is the difference between a hippopotamus and a hippopotamus, you should probably compare them. After all, the differences between these two species living now are observed not only in size, but also in the structure of the skeleton, skull, number of teeth.

Pygmy hippos have longer legs and neck than common ones. Their skull is also smaller. While the hippopotamus's spine is usually horizontal, the pygmy hippopotamus' backs are slightly tilted forward.

Differences between these species can even be "read on the face". AtIn pygmy hippopotamuses, the nostrils and eyes protrude less noticeably than in ordinary ones. Yes, and their toes are more apart. Moreover, the membranes of the dwarf species are expressed to a much lesser extent.

An interesting detail is the sweat color of pygmy hippos. He's pink! But do not think that it contains blood particles - it is not at all.

It is also worth noting the difference in the behavior of pygmy and common hippos. Hippos are quite aggressive creatures. They are passionate about protecting their territory. Pygmy hippos usually do not care if a stranger inadvertently wanders into their habitat. They never fight internecine wars over territory, and hardly fight over females.

It is this feature of theirs that allows you to keep small hippos as pets. Although in adulthood they can reach a weight of two hundred and eighty kilograms. But that's not the four and a half tons that adult hippos become!

Pygmy hippos differ from ordinary hippos in that they prefer to lead a solitary lifestyle. Hippos, on the other hand, usually live in compact flocks.