**The eyes, ears and nose of the hippo are placed high on the face in order to allow the animal to be almost completely submerged while keeping all it's "senses" above water.
**The pinkish-red oily secretions are a hippo's adaptation to help protect it's skin from too much sun, much like a sunscreen. It also acts as a moisturizing coat to help to keep their skin from drying out. It also helps to heal wounds and scratches on their bodies ... talk about multi-purpose!
**Hippos act as host to several other species. One of the most commonly seen would be birds, which use the hippo as a perch while trying to catch fish in the water and stay away from predators. The birds in turn pick the flies and other insects off the hippo. In the water, fish often eat the algae that grow on the hippo's skin.
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