Hippos: The unsung engineers of the savannah
Hippos may seem to be lazing about, but they're actually skilled multitaskers engineering their ecosystem for other species to thrive.
Do hippos sweat blood? With red liquid seeping out of their pores as they sunbathe, it may seem like it. But this substance is the animal's natural defence against the harsh rays of the African sun. These mammals are perfectly adapted for life in the savannah. But they aren’t only built for this landscape – hippos engineer their environment too.
Every night, hippos rise from the river banks and head out in search of grass to graze on. They dredge themselves from the shallows and cross the land for up to six kilometres, creating unique trails that pattern the earth. When a storm arrives, the slopes the hippos made allow for nutrients to wash into the river.
Weighing up to three tonnes, hippos bully their way through floodplains. The movement forms channels between water and land up to five metres wide. These trenches quickly fill up during the rains, and offer an outlet for excess water in the case of a flood.
Happiest in muddy waters, hippos can spend up to 16 hours a day submerged. These mammals have developed the ability to hold their breath for up to five minutes, with their calves also able to suckle underwater. When they are asleep, hippos rise to the surface for air automatically.
As wild as the savannah might seem, we can thank the hippo for landscaping this scenery. The heavy creature holds significant weight in this diverse ecosystem. The bigger the hippo, the greater the impact it makes
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Main image courtesy of Beautiful News