Hippopotamus

High school (ages 12+)
Animals & Nature

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/hippopotamus

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. How many people live in Hippopotamus?Estimated 125,000–150,000 individuals remaining
2. What is the scientific name?Hippopotamus amphibius
3. What is the habitat?Freshwater rivers, lakes, and swamps in sub-Saharan Africa
4. What do hippopotamuses eat?Hippopotamuses mainly eat grass, and a single hippo can munch up to 40 kilograms of vegetation each night. They may also eat other low-lying plants if the grass is scarce.
5. Why do hippopotamuses spend most of the day in water?They stay in water to keep their thick, almost hairless skin protected from the hot sun and to conserve energy.

Obligate Herbivore: An animal that must eat plants to survive.
Keystone Species: A species that has a disproportionately large effect on its environment relative to its abundance.
Semi-aquatic: An animal that spends a significant portion of its life in both water and on land.
IUCN Red List: A global list of threatened species, categorized by their risk of extinction.