Also called river horse. The pygmy hippopotamus. The broad, short-legged body has a thick brown or gray hide, and the eyes are near the top of the head, so the animal can see when submerged.
Hippopotamuses live in small herds, feeding on aquatic plants.
Hunted for meat and hides, they are endangered. Hippos have killed more people than any other animal in the world. The tusk-like incisors and canines grow continuously. They are ivory, valued even more highly than an elephant's because they do not turn yellow with age. George Washington's false teeth were not made of wood, as is commonly believed, but were carved from the tusks of a hippopotamus.