Hippopotamus weight varies according to its species. An adult common hippopotamus weight range is 1500 to 1800 kg while that of an adult pygmy is 180 to 275 kg. If you are intrigued by learning a little bit about this huge beast and now you are looking to know how much does a hippopotamus weigh-in details, you are going to get all of your answers here.
How much hippopotamus weigh
The female hippos stop growing after a certain time while the male hippos continue growing in size. This is why there is a slight difference between the weights of males and females.
Once hippopotamuses were available in large numbers in Asia and Europe but today, only Africa is fostering these huge beasts. In Africa, the hippo population is estimated in between 125000 and 148000.
Some experts say 5 species of these massive grey mammals were present in the past. However, only two species are available now and mostly in East Africa where rivers move slowly.
- Common Hippopotamus
- Pygmy Hippopotamus
in average, a common hippopotamus will weigh within 3300-4000 Pounds or 1.3 tons or 1300 kg while a pygmy hippopotamus will weigh 485 Pounds or 0.2 tons or 220 kg.
How much Common Hippopotamus weigh
| Name | Wright (Pound) | Weight (Kg) |
|---|---|---|
| Baby Hippo | 55-110 | 25-50 |
| Adult Male Hippo | 3300 – 4000 | 1500 – 1800 |
| Adult Female Hippo | 2900 – 3300 | 1300 – 1500 |
The male and female hippos have their differences in weight. As the female does not continue its growth after a certain age, typically a female hippo weighs less than a male at their mature age. However, hippopotami reach their mature level at the age of around 25 years.
An adult hippo can be 9.5 to 14 feet long and it spends most of its time in rivers. The male continues its growth along with increasing its weight up to 1800 kg while the female hippo can weigh up to 1500 kg. However, the heaviest hippo (male) ever recorded was 9900 pounds.
How much Pygmy Hippopotamus weigh
| Name | Weight (Pound) | Weight (Kg) |
|---|---|---|
| Pygmy Hippopotamus baby | 10 – 14 | 4.5 – 6.4 |
| Adult Pygmy Hippopotamus | 352 – 606 | 160 – 275 |
Pygmy hippos are smaller in size in comparison to their larger cousins. Eventually, a pygmy hippo weighs less than a common hippo. At birth time, newborn hippos weigh differently for males and females.
Generally a male Pygmy Hippo weighs 0.25 kg more than a female one. However, the life expectancy for both the male and female pygmy hippos is estimated up to 27 years. Typically a newborn pygmy weighs 4.5 to 6.4 kg while the adult one weighs 180 to 275 kg.
Animals weighing over 1000 Kilograms
The hippopotamus is regarded as the third largest land animal. After elephants and Rhinos, hippos weigh more than 1,000 Kilograms. If you want to know what animals weigh over 1000 kg you can follow the below lists –
| Animal | Scientific Name | Weight (Kg) |
|---|---|---|
| African Bush elephant | Loxodonta africana | 5200 – 6900 |
| Asian elephant | Elephas maximus indicus | 3500 – 4600 |
| White rhinoceros | Ceratotherium simum cottoni | 3200 – 3600 |
| Indian rhinoceros | Rhinoceros unicornis | 1800 – 2700 |
| African forest elephant | Loxodonta cyclotis | 1700 – 2300 |
| Hippopotamus | Hippopotamus amphibius | 1300 – 2000 |
| Giraffe | Giraffa camelopardalis | 1192 – 1930 |
Final Verdict
There are variations in behaviors and weights between the common hippopotamus and Pygmy hippopotamus. Some people get confused about whether they can keep Pygmy Hippo as pets or not.
However, this is not a good idea to keep the hippopotamus as your pet although we know, once the US president Calvin Coolidge was gifted a Pygmy hippopotamus in 1927.
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