> Which animal gets its name from the Greek words that mean "river horse?"And the answer: hippopotamus.The word hippopotamus comes from two Greek words that translate to "riverhorse," and for good reason: Hippos love water! To keep their bodies cool underthe hot African sun, they spend most of their day submerged in rivers and lakes.They're excellent swimmers and can hold their breath underwater for up to fiveminutes.Photo credit: Facts.net [https://facts.net/nature/animals/hippopotamus-facts/].Hippos are some of the most peculiar and powerful animals in Africa. Theseadorable but fearsome creatures are equipped with canine and incisor teeth thatgrow continuously, sometimes reaching up to 20 inches in length. Meanwhile, themassive creatures are adapted to semi-aquatic environments, allowing them tomove swiftly on land and through water. While they bask on the shoreline, theirskin secretes an oily red substance that is sometimes mistaken for blood. Inreality, evolution has equipped hippos with a skin moistener and sunblock thatmay also provide protection against germs. Hippos tend to stick to the shallows during the daytime, but come night, theyroam freely on land. Taking advantage of the cool night air, hippos can consumea whopping 88 pounds of vegetation in a single night, sometimes traveling up to6 miles to do so. Interestingly, hippos' closest living relative is the whale. Although their namemeans "river horse," and their body resembles something of a pig's, molecularphylogeny reveals a closer link to ocean-dwelling giants. A 2005 Berkeley studyclaims that the two share a common, water-loving ancestor millions of years ago. Learn more about hippopotamuses (hippopotami?) here[https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/facts/hippopotamus?loggedin=true].

