I always wanted to see a hippopotamus. Can you tell me anything about them?
Sure! The hippo is a larger herbivore mammal and there are only two species in existence!
Wow they remind me a lot of cows. I wonder if they are related.
They aren't though the name comes from the ancient Greek for river horse.
They sure seem to enjoy being in the water so that name makes sense to me!
extant artiodactyl. Despite their physical resemblance to pigs and other terrestrial even-toed ungulates, the closest living relatives of the Hippopotamidae are cetaceans (whales, dolphins, porpoises, etc.) from which they diverged about 55 million years ago.
Common hippos are recognisable by their barrel-shaped torsos, wide-opening mouths revealing large canine tusks, nearly hairless bodies, columnar legs and large size; adults average and for males and females respectively. Despite its stocky shape and short legs, it is capable of running over
men, and are only distinguished from male authors by a greater feebleness and folly; but when they throw off the restraints of decency, and come before the public stark naked, as it were—then their books are sure to possess character and value. Can you tell me anything about this Fanny Fern? If you meet her, I wish you would let her know how much I admire her. ("Letters to Ticknor", 1:78)
"Ruth Hall" has since become Fern's most enduring work.